Mycoplasma Infection of Cervicovaginal Fluid in Women with Preterm Labor

Park, Ji Kwon; Shin, Jeong Kyu; Choi, Won Jun; Lee, Soon Ae; Lee, Jong Hak; Paik, Won Young

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the infection rate of cervicovaginal U. urealyticum and M. hominis in normal full-term and preterm labor women, to know whether these infections are related to the increase of preterm labor incidence.
METHODS
We took the test for U. urealyticum and M. hominis in cervicovaginal fluid in 35 cases of premature labor women and 74 cases of normal full-term women. Culture of U. urealyticum and M. hominis with Mycoscreen kitR and other bacterial culture were performed, simultaneously. Clinical outcomes were reviewed and the test results between preterm labor and full-term pregnancy group were compared. Student t-tests and Chi-square, Fisher's exact test were used to determine the statistical significance.
RESULTS
The infection rates of U. urealyticum in preterm labor group and normal full-term group were 71.4% (25/35 cases) and 58.1% (43/74 cases), respectively (p>0.05). The M. hominis infection rates in premature labor group and normal full-term group were 20% (7/35 cases) and 2.7% (2/74 cases), respectively (p<0.01). Other bacterial infection rates in premature labor and normal full-term group were 31.4% (11/35 cases) and 10.8% (8/74 cases), respectively (p<0.01). Among the premature labor women, the duration of pregnancy prolongation after onset of premature labor was significantly longer in M. hominis positive group than that in M. hominis negative group (21.7 days vs 3.5 days).
CONCLUSION
The lower genital tract infection may be an important causative factor of premature labor, especially with colonization of M. hominis. It was suggested that the efforts of obstetricians to detect and control genital M. hominis and bacterial infection may, in some degree, prevent the preterm labor and birth.