Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the urease genes of Ureaplasma urealyticum was compared with culture for detection of the organism in 100 endotracheal aspirates from 54 ventilated preterm infants. Ninety specimens gave negative results by both culture and PCR and three specimens gave positive results by both culture and PCR. Six specimens were negative by culture but positive by PCR. The one specimen positive by culture and negative by PCR was interpreted as a false-positive culture result. Overall agreement between results obtained by culture and PCR was 93%. PCR is a sensitive and reliable method for the detection of U. urealyticum in neonatal endotracheal secretions. Detection by PCR (1–2 days) is more rapid than culture (2–5 days) and this will be important if early therapeutic intervention is shown to be effective.
Taylor-RobinsonD.Ureaplasma urealyticum (T-strain Mycoplasma) and Mycoplasma hominis. In
MandellG. L.,
BennettJ. E.,
DolinR.
(eds) Mandell, Douglas and Bennett’s Principles and practice of infectious diseases 4th edn, vol 2 New York: Churchill Livingstone; 19951713–1718
CassellG. H.,
WaitesK. B.,
CrouseD. T. Association of Ureaplasma urealyticum infection of the lower respiratory tract with chronic lung disease and death in very-low-birth-weight infants. Lancet1988; 2:240–245
PayneN. R.,
SteinbergS. S.,
AckermanP. New prospective studies of the association of Ureaplasma urealyticum colonization and chronic lung disease. Clin Infect Dis1993; 17: Suppl 1S117–S121
BlanchardA.,
HentschelJ.,
DuffyL.,
BaldusK.,
CassellG. H. Detection of Ureaplasma urealyticum by polymerase chain reaction in the urogenital tract of adults, in amniotic fluid, and in the respiratory tract of newborns. Clin Infect Dis1993; 17: Suppl 1S148–S153
TengK.,
LiM.,
YuW.,
LiH.,
ShenD.,
LiuD. Comparison of PCR with culture for detection of Ureaplasma urealyticum in clinical samples from patients with urogenital infections. J Clin Microbiol1994; 32:2232–2234
JarvisL. M.,
WatsonH. G.,
McOmishF.,
PeuthererJ. F.,
LudlamC. A.,
SimmondsP. Frequent reinfection and reactivation of hepatitis C virus genotypes in multitransfiised hemophiliacs. J Infect Dis1994; 170:1018–1022
RobertsonJ. A.,
VekrisA.,
BebearC.,
StemkeG. W. Polymerase Chain Reaction using 16SrRNA gene sequences distinguishes the two biovars of Ureaplasma urealyticum. J Clin Microbiol1993; 31:824–830
IlesR.,
LyonA. J.,
RossP.,
McIntoshN. Infection with Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis and the development of chronic lung disease in preterm infants. Acta Paediatr Scand1996; 00:000–000