Infertility can be attributed to reproductive tract infections (RTI), most commonly nongonococcal urethritis, mainly including Mycoplasma and Chlamydia infections, which may directly or indirectly damage spermatozoa and spermatogenic cells. In addition, a series of immune responses caused by such infections are also associated with male infertility. Methods for the clinical detection of these microbial infections are being constantly improved for more specific and precise control over the impact of Mycoplasma and Chlamydia infections on male fertility.
Chlamydia Infections ; complications ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; microbiology ; Male ; Mycoplasma ; Mycoplasma Infections ; complications ; Reproductive Tract Infections ; Spermatozoa ; microbiology ; Urethritis ; complications ; microbiology

Objective: To analyze the relationship of Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) infection with routine semen parameters and sperm DNA integrity in male infertility patients. METHODS: Totally, 114 semen samples, 34 MG-positive and 80 MG-negative, were collected from male infertility patients and subjected to routine semen analysis with the computer-assisted sperm analysis system, Papanicolaou staining for observation of sperm morphology, and sperm chromatin diffusion (SCD) test for detection of sperm DNA integrity. Semen parameters and DNA integrity were compared between the MG-positive and MG-negative groups with SPSS 21.0 statistical software and the relationship between the semen parameters and DNA integrity analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. RESULTS: The MG-positive samples, compared with the MG-negative ones, showed significantly decreased semen volume (［2.87 ± 0.37］ vs ［3.86 ± 0.43］ ml, P < 0.01), sperm concentration (［29.05 ± 6.17］ vs ［32.56 ± 5.97］ ×10⁶/ml, P < 0.01), and percentages of progressively motile sperm (PMS) (［15.86 ± 2.79］% vs ［23.65 ± 3.47］%, P < 0.01) and morphologically normal sperm (MNS) (［6.35 ± 2.06］% vs ［7.14 ± 1.89］%, P < 0.05), increased proportions of non-halo sperm (［15.02 ± 3.52］% vs ［9.72 ± 2.94］%, P <0.01) and small-halo sperm (［16.37 ± 5.26］% vs ［11.07 ± 1.65］%, P < 0.01) and sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) (［31.39 ± 3.16］% vs ［20.79 ± 3.59］%, P < 0.01), and reduced proportion of large-halo sperm (［54.75 ± 8.74］% vs ［64.15 ± 9.76］%, P < 0.01). DFI was negatively correlated with the percentages of PMS (r = －0.516, P < 0.05) and MNS (r = －0.429, P < 0.05) in the MG-positive group, but not correlated with any of the routine semen parameters in the MG-negative patients (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS MG infection may be an important factor affecting sperm quality in male infertility patients. Active prevention and treatment of MG infection can help prevent male infertility.
DNA Fragmentation ; Humans ; Infertility, Male/microbiology* ; Male ; Mycoplasma Infections/complications* ; Mycoplasma genitalium ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa

It is well known that mycoplasma can cause infection in the male reproductive tract. Some studies indicate that Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uu), a species of mycoplasma, is associated with male infertility. Sulfogalactosylglycerolipid(SGG) is the major mammalian male germ cell glycolipid, synthesized via sulfation of galactosylglycerolipid in early primary spermatocytes. Some experiments have proved that SGG is implicated in sperm-egg binding by linking arylsulfatase A (AS-A), SGG's ligand on the egg. SGG can be desulfated by binding mycoplasmas and transformed galactosylglycerolipid, which doesn't bind AS-A. So the binding and degradation of the sperm SGG by mycoplasmas may play a role in the induction of male infertility. As a kind of mycoplasma, Uu can also bind SGG, which offers another explantion for the association of Uu infection with male infertility caused by Uu infection.
Female ; Galactolipids ; physiology ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; etiology ; Male ; Mycoplasma Infections ; complications ; Sperm-Ovum Interactions ; Spermatozoa ; chemistry

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; therapeutic use ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Macrolides ; therapeutic use ; Mycoplasma Infections ; complications ; drug therapy ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; isolation & purification ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; complications ; drug therapy ; Respiratory Sounds ; drug effects ; etiology

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; DNA, Bacterial ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; complications ; microbiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycoplasma Infections ; complications ; Mycoplasma hominis ; isolation & purification ; Ureaplasma Infections ; complications ; Ureaplasma urealyticum ; isolation & purification

ObjectiveTo explore Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) infection in the urogenital tract of infertile men and its influence on semen quality.

METHODSSemen samples were collected from 352 infertile males in the Center of Reproductive Medicine of Nanjing General Hospital from March to July 2015. MG infection was detected by real-time fluorescence simultaneous amplification and testing and semen analyses were conducted according to the WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen (5th Ed) on the semen pH value, semen volume, total sperm count, sperm concentration, total sperm motility, percentages of progressively motile sperm (PMS) and immotile sperm (IMS), and sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI). The data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis by t-test and non-parametric test (Wilcoxon test).

RESULTSMG infection was found in 3.4% (12/352) of the infertile patients. Compared with the MG-positive cases, the MG-negative ones showed a significantly higher semen volume (［2.85 ± 0.14］ vs ［3.84 ± 0.12］ ml, P = 0.008) and percentage of PMS (［15.86±1.72］ vs ［60.95 ± 5.63］ %, P = 0.032) but a lower DFI (［30.73 ±2.24］ vs ［20.71 ± 1.55］%, P = 0.014). However, no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in the semen pH value (7.38 ±0.02 vs 7.39 ± 0.01, P = 0.774), sperm concentration (［52.96 ± 15.78］ vs ［60.05 ± 4.29］×10⁶/ml, P = 0.683), sperm count (［154.15 ± 46.37］ vs ［221.56 ± 15.43］×106, P = 0.236), total sperm motility (［29.04 ± 3.11］ vs ［33.52 ± 1.51］ %, P = 0.626), or percentage of IMS (［23.57 ± 0.99］ vs ［62.34 ± 1.69］ %, P = 0.691).

CONCLUSIONSUrogenital MG infection is common in infertile males and potentially affects the semen quality, especially sperm vitality of the patient.

DNA Fragmentation ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; microbiology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Male Urogenital Diseases ; microbiology ; Mycoplasma Infections ; complications ; Mycoplasma genitalium ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between vulvovaginitis in pre-pubertal girls and pathogens as Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct), N. gonorrhoeae (Ng), Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uu), Mycoplasma hominis (Mh), M. genitalium (Mg), M. fermentans (Mf) and M. penetrans (Mpe), as well as to find out the proportion of mycoplasma which is correlated to sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and AIDS. METHODS Vulvae swab specimens from 285 pre-pubertal girls with vulvovaginitis (case group) and 128 healthy girls (control group) were collected and detected by nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) to identify the existence of pathogens as Ct, Ng, Uu, Mh, Mg, Mf and Mpe. nPCR with both high specificity and sensitivity, would not be influenced by the amount of pathogens in specimens or inactivated during the process of storage or transportation.

RESULTSThe rate of detection on pathogens was 59.65% in the 285 specimens from case group including 'one kind of pathogen in one specimen' as 37.54% and 'two kinds' as 16.84% and 'three kinds' as 5.26%. However, in the 128 specimens from control group, the detectable rate of pathogen was 6.25%. Relationships were found between Ng (P < 0.01), Ct (P < 0.01), Uu (P < 0.01), Mg (P < 0.01), Mf (P < 0.05), Mpe (P < 0.01) and vulvovaginitis in pre-pubertal girls. In control group the pathogens were detected from 7 specimens including 5 Uu and 2 Mh.

CONCLUSIONSome of the pathogens were correlated to STD and were important in causing vulvovaginitis in pre-pubertal girls. Vulvovaginitis might have been caused by more than one kind of pathogen in pre-pubertal girls. The locations of Mg, Mf and Ng in outer genital tracts were correlated to seasonal change. Macrolide seemed to be quite effective clinically in treating urogenital tract infection caused by mycoplasma and Ct.

Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Chlamydia Infections ; complications ; Chlamydia trachomatis ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Gonorrhea ; complications ; Humans ; Mycoplasma ; isolation & purification ; Mycoplasma Infections ; complications ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae ; isolation & purification ; Seasons ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; complications ; microbiology ; Ureaplasma Infections ; complications ; Ureaplasma urealyticum ; isolation & purification ; Vulvovaginitis ; etiology ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes in cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-2, TNF-alpha) of peripheral blood and cervical mucous of infertile women with mycoplasma infection and the effect of intervention of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs).

METHODAccording to the results of culture of mycoplasma from genital tracts, 72 patients with positive mycoplasma were randomly divided into the TCM group (38 cases) and the western medicine group (34 cases). The western medicine group was treated with 0.5 g azithromycin for 3 days and consecutively treated for six courses of treatment, each course of treatment of 4 days. The TCM group were treated with Xiaozhi decoction twice every day for 6 weeks. The IL-1beta, IL-2 and TNF-alpha levels of the peripheral blood and cervical mucous of the two groups were measured by the Ria testing before and after the treatment, and the mycoplasma culture (-) of 32 infertile women as set for control.

RESULTBefore the treatment, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in levels of the two treatment groups were higher than those of the control group (P < 0.01). In the TCM group, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta levels showed significant differences compared with those before the treatment (P < 0.05) and those of the western group after the treatment (P < 0.01); and IL-2 level didn't have significant change before and after the treatment. The cytokines in peripheral blood of the two treatment groups showed notable difference compared with those of the control group (P < 0.01). In TCM group, IL-2 level had remarkable difference compared with that before the treatment (P < 0.01) and compared with the control group after the treatment (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCytokines (IL-1beta, IL-2, TNF-alpha) in the peripheral blood and cervical mucous increase in infertile women with the mycoplasma infection, suggesting that TCMs can effectively inhibit the levels of IL-1beta, IL-2, TNF-alpha in the peripheral blood and IL-1beta, TNF-alpha in cervical mucous. It is proved that Xiaozhi decoction can be used to treat infertile women with mycoplasma infection.

Adult ; Cytokines ; blood ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; blood ; complications ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Mycoplasma Infections ; blood ; complications ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: To investigate the risk factors for vaginal infections and antimicrobial susceptibilities of vaginal microorganisms among women who experienced preterm birth (PTB), we compared the prevalence of vaginal microorganisms between women who experienced preterm labor (PTL) without preterm delivery and spontaneous PTB. METHODS: Vaginal swab specimens from 126 pregnant women who experienced PTL were tested for group B streptococcus (GBS), Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Treponema pallidum, herpes simplex virus (HSV) I and II, and bacterial vaginosis. A control group of 91 pregnant women was tested for GBS. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed for GBS, M. hominis, and U. urealyticum. RESULTS: The overall detection rates for each microorganism were: U. urealyticum, 62.7%; M. hominis, 12.7%; GBS, 7.9%; C. trachomatis, 2.4%; and HSV type II, 0.8%. The colonization rate of GBS in control group was 17.6%. The prevalence of GBS, M. hominis, and U. urealyticum in PTL without preterm delivery and spontaneous PTB were 3.8% and 8.7% (relative risk [RR], 2.26), 3.8% and 17.3% (RR, 4.52), and 53.8% and 60.9% (RR, 1.13), respectively, showing no significant difference between the 2 groups. The detection rate of M. hominis by PCR was higher than that by culture method (11.1% vs. 4.0%, P=0.010). The detection rates of U. urealyticum by PCR and culture method were 16.7% and 57.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in the prevalence of GBS, M. hominis, and U. urealyticum between the spontaneous PTB and PTL without preterm delivery groups.
Female ; Humans ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Mycoplasma Infections/complications/microbiology ; Mycoplasma hominis/isolation & purification ; Obstetric Labor, Premature/*epidemiology/etiology ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/epidemiology/microbiology ; Premature Birth/*epidemiology/etiology ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Streptococcal Infections/complications/microbiology ; Streptococcus agalactiae/isolation & purification ; Ureaplasma Infections/complications/microbiology ; Ureaplasma urealyticum/isolation & purification ; Vagina/*microbiology

OBJECTIVEDiscussion of the relationship between Mycoplasma and chlamydia infection and lesions in the cervical tissue in high-risk HPV-positive infertile patients with cervical.

METHODSHPV-negative patients with cervical as the control, retrospective analysis the relationship of Mycoplasma hominis and chlamydia infection, cervical histological graded, and inflammation graded.

RESULTSThe rate of HPV infection in mycoplasma-positive and those with negative mycoplasma has significant difference (P < 0.01), The rate of HPV infection in chlamydia-positive and those with negative chlamydia has no significant difference (P > 0.05). CIN and the incidence of cervical erosion and CIN grade were higher in HPV-positive than HPV-negative group (P < 0.01). The cervical erosion of HPV-positive was no difference in the degree (P > 0.05). Compared with the simple HPV-positive group, CIN and the incidence of severe cervical erosion in mixed infection of Mycoplasma was no difference (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONMycoplasma infection increases the rate of high risk HPV infection, high-risk HPV infection increased cervical pathological damage, Mycoplasma infection might be the factor of persistent infection with high risk HPV, the degree of cervical pathological is the factor of cervical infertility which can not be ignored.

Adult ; Alphapapillomavirus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Cervix Uteri ; microbiology ; pathology ; virology ; Chlamydia ; isolation & purification ; Chlamydia Infections ; complications ; microbiology ; pathology ; virology ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; etiology ; microbiology ; pathology ; virology ; Mycoplasma ; isolation & purification ; Mycoplasma Infections ; complications ; microbiology ; pathology ; virology ; Papillomavirus Infections ; complications ; microbiology ; pathology ; virology ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult