Prevalence of genital mycoplasmas in asymptomatic male partners of women diagnosed as having chlamydial infections

Abstract

We examined 209 asymptomatic male partners of women diagnosed as having chlamydial infections for the prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Ureaplasma parvum in their first-voided urine (FVU) by nucleic acid amplification tests. Quantification of leukocytes in FVU was performed by automated urine particle analyzers. Two (1.0%) men were positive for N.gonorrhoeae, and 92 (44.0%) were positive for C.trachomatis. In men negative for these pathogens, prevalences of M.genitalium, M.hominis, U.urealyticum, and U.parvum were 0.9%, 29.6%, 27.8%, and 20.1%, respectively, and 58.3% were positive for at least one species of the genital mycoplasmas. Leukocyte counts in FVU from 92 men positive for C.trachomatis were significantly greater than those from 115 men negative for C.trachomatis (p<0.0001). However, there was no significant difference in leukocyte counts between 66 men positive for at least one species of M.hominis, U.urealyticum, and U.parvum and 48 men negative for all the species (p=0.1657). The present population of asymptomatic male partners of women diagnosed as having chlamydial infections showed a low prevalence of M.genitalium infections but would be at high risk of being infected by the other genital mycoplasmas. However, it was still unclear whether these genital mycoplasmas would contribute to the development of inflammation of the male urethra. When these partners are negative for C.trachomatis and N.gonorrhoeae, the recommendation to presumptively treat them to disrupt transmission networks of the genital mycoplasmas would seem premature.