Abstract
The utility of whole-genomic DNA probes for the detection of infections by genital mycoplasmas was investigated in 220 men attending a sexually transmitted diseases clinic. In 144 patients, probe results were compared with quantitative culture results. The prevalence of Mycoplasma hominis was 11% by culture, whereas the prevalence of ureaplasmas was 38%. The M. hominis DNA probe detected 9 of 16 M. hominis culture-positive specimens and 2 of 128 culture-negative specimens. The Ureaplasma urealyticum DNA probe detected 36 of 57 U. urealyticum culture-positive specimens and 18 of 87 culture-negative specimens. Most of the probe-negative culture-positive specimens had colony counts of less than 10(3) organisms/ml of specimen. The DNA probe does not require viable organisms, and the probe-positive, culture-negative specimens suggest that false-negative cultures occurred, perhaps due to specimen handling or insensitivity of culture methods for some strains of mycoplasmas.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 618-620 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Israel journal of medical sciences |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 6 |
State | Published - Jun 1987 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Bioengineering