rss
Sex Transm Infect 2009;85:438-440 doi:10.1136/sti.2008.035477
  • Clinical

Mycoplasma genitalium compared to chlamydia, gonorrhoea and trichomonas as an aetiological agent of urethritis in men attending STD clinics

  1. C Gaydos1,
  2. N E Maldeis2,
  3. A Hardick1,
  4. J Hardick1,
  5. T C Quinn1,3
  1. 1
    Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  2. 2
    Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  3. 3
    National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health Bethesda, Maryland, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Charlotte A Gaydos, 530 Rangos Building, 855 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; cgaydos{at}jhmi.edu
  • Accepted 16 March 2009
  • Published Online First 20 April 2009

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Trichomonas vaginalis in men, frequency of co-infections, and association of organisms with urethritis in men.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 290 men (age range 19–34 years) attending Baltimore City STD clinics. M genitalium, C trachomatis, N gonorrhoeae and T vaginalis, during 2004 were detected using nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) (153 with urethritis and 137 without urethritis). Demographic characteristics and risk factors were ascertained.

Results: The overall prevalences of infection with C trachomatis, N gonorrhoeae, T vaginalis and M genitalium were 20.3%, 12.8%, 3.4% and 15.2%, respectively. Prevalences in men with urethritis were 32.7%, 24.2%, 5.2% and 22.2% for C trachomatis, N gonorrhoeae, T vaginalis and M genitalium, respectively. Percentages of co-infections were high. All men with N gonorrhoeae had urethritis. C trachomatis and M genitalium were found to be significantly associated with urethritis in univariate analysis and in multiple logistic regression analysis.

Conclusion: The association of M genitalium with urethritis in this study provides confirmation of the importance of screening men for M genitalium as a cause of non-gonococcal urethritis and supports treatment considerations for urethritis for agents other than gonococci and chlamydia.

Footnotes

  • Additional methods and tables are published online only at http://sti.bmj.com/content/vol85/issue6

  • Competing interests GenProbe, Inc provided free test kits for this study.

  • Contributors CAG was responsible for overall design and implementation of the study and wrote the manuscript. NM conducted the data analysis and participated in writing the manuscript. AH and JH performed all the laboratory assays and assisted with data collection and data analysis. TQ participated in the study design and assisted in manuscript preparation.

This Article

  1. Abstract
  2. Full text
  3. PDF
  4. All versions of this article:
    1. sti.2008.035477v1
    2. 85/6/438 most recent

Responses

  1. Submit a response
  2. No responses published

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.