agar and Urethritis

To compare and evaluate two commercial methods for Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum with the isolation in agar A7 medium.. One hundred and twenty three vaginal and cervical swabs in women prostitutes, and urethral swabs in men, were studied for Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum isolation in agar A7 medium (BioMérieux; France), Mycoplasma IST (BioMérieux, France) and MycoFast ALL-IN (Unipath, U.K.).. Of all 123 samples studied, it was isolated 24 Mycoplasma hominis (19.5%) and 56 Ureaplasma urealyticum (45.5%) in agar A7. The sensitivity was 100% for Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum in Mycoplasma IST versus 29.2% and 50% in MycoFast ALL-IN, both respectively. Specificity was lower for Ureaplasma urealyticum (59.7%) in Mycoplasma IST than in MycoFast ALL-IN (100%). It was found a tetracycline resistance of 15% and 12.5% for Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis, both respectively.. The use of commercial methods permits to count the genital mycoplasmas, being Mycoplasma IST better than MycoFast ALL-IN for Mycoplasma hominis isolation. Both methods have limitations for Ureaplasma urealyticum and they require the use of agar A7. Mycoplasma IST could be a good method to survey tetracycline resistance.

Topics: Agar; Bacteriological Techniques; Culture Media; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Female; Humans; Male; Mycoplasma; Mycoplasma Infections; Predictive Value of Tests; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sex Work; Ureaplasma Infections; Ureaplasma urealyticum; Urethritis; Uterine Cervicitis

An agar growth inhibition method for serotyping Ureaplasma urealyticum is described, and the results of applying this method to serotyping 338 strains of the organism are presented. The serotyped strains consisted of cloned isolates from male patients with primary and recurrent nongonococcal urethritis (NGU), isolates from symptomatic patients with other genitourinary tract infections and disorders, and isolates from asymptomatic carriers of U. urealyticum in the genitourinary tract (controls). Among 122 male patients with NGU, serotype 4 was associated most frequently (52%) with this disease at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Seventeen percent of the isolates were type 2. The remaining isolates consisted of types 1, 3, 6, and 8 and accounted for 6 to 9% each of the serotypes isolated from the NGU group. Types 5 and 7 were not isolated. Among 91 symptomatic patients with other genitourinary tract infections and disorders, U. urealyticum type 4 also was associated most frequently (37%) with these disorders. The remaining isolates, represented by types 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8, accounted for 9 to 15% each of the types isolated from this group. Type 5 was not isolated. Among 125 symptomfree carriers of U. urealyticum in the genitourinary tract, type 8 was recovered most frequently (30%), whereas type 4 was isolated next most frequently (24%). The remaining isolates consisted of types 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 and accounted for 2 to 15% each in this asymptomatic control group. Type 7 was not isolated. Of the present eight serotypes of U. urealyticum studied in this investigation, type 4 was associated most frequently with disease (NGU) and certain other disorders of the genitourinary tract at Camp Lejeune. A previously unknown association of U. urealyticum with frequently abacteriuric, unexplained pyuria (with or without urethral pruritus and dysuria) is reported, suggesting the existence of asymptomatic Ureaplasma urethritis.

Topics: Adult; Agar; Carrier State; Child; Child, Preschool; Culture Media; Female; Humans; Male; Military Medicine; Mycoplasma Infections; Serotyping; Ureaplasma; Urethritis; Urogenital System

A differential agar medium for the identification of Ureaplasma urealyticum in primary cultures of clinical specimens is described. The differential medium (no. A7) is specific for the identification of U. urealyticum and other members of the genus Ureaplasma. Large-colony, classical Mycoplasma and Acholeplasma species and Proteus L colonies are unreactive on this differential medium. The medium incorporates the biochemical principle of the direct spot test for urease in colonies of Ureaplasma and contains added urea and a sensitive indicator of ammonia, manganous sulfate. Ureaplasma colonies on this medium are identified as dark golden-brown or rich deep-brown colonies, in sharp contrast to the light background of the medium, when viewed by direct transmitted illumination under the low power of the microscope.

Topics: Acholeplasma; Agar; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Female; Humans; L Forms; Male; Mycoplasma; Proteus; Species Specificity; Ureaplasma; Urease; Urethritis; Urine

The existence of unusual colonies of Ureaplasma urealyticum (T mycoplasmas) in primary agar cultures of certain urine specimens is reported and their morphology is illustrated.

Topics: Agar; Humans; Hydrolysis; Magnesium; Male; Manganese; Mycoplasma; Urea; Urease; Urethritis; Urine

Topics: Agar; Bacteriological Techniques; Cacao; Corynebacterium; Culture Media; Female; Humans; Male; Urethritis; Urogenital System

Topics: Agar; Bacteriological Techniques; Cacao; Corynebacterium; Culture Media; Female; Humans; Male; Urethritis; Urogenital System

Ford, Denys K. (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada), and Joyce Macdonald. Morphology of human genital "T-strain" pleuropneumonia-like organisms. J. Bacteriol. 85:649-653. 1963.-The morphology of Shepard's "T-strain" organisms from the human genital tract was investigated. The incubation of "T-strains" in 20% CO(2) with 80% nitrogen for 4 to 5 days caused surface outgrowth from the central core of the colonies embedded in the agar. Filtration through HA, PH, and VC Millipore filters showed that the elementary particles of "T-strains" were between 0.3 and 0.1 mu in diameter. "T-strain" pleuropneumonia-like organisms (PPLO) from broth cultures, stained by Giemsa's method, were seen to be minute, spherical particles, similar in size to the particles of the large-colony strains. Colonies of "T-strains," when prepared by the microculture, fixed-agar-block, and Formvar methods, resembled those of large-colony PPLO. It was concluded that "T-strain" organisms were true PPLO.

Topics: Agar; Canada; Mycoplasma; Urethritis; Urogenital System