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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1979

Treatment of nongonococcal urethritis with rifampicin as a means of defining the role of Ureaplasma urealyticum.

The results of a double-blind therapeutic trial on 217 men with nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) show that minocycline was more effective than rifampicin. Before treatment Chlamydia trachomatis was isolated from 43% of men, Ureaplasma urealyticum from 59%, and Mycoplasma hominis from 22%. Chlamydiae and ureaplasmas were isolated less frequently from men with a recent history of NGU. Minocycline was given to 94 patients, and after treatment chlamydiae were isolated from only one of 40 initially chlamydia-positive patients and ureaplasmas from only five of 57 initially ureaplasma-positive patients. Although most patients responded clinically, failure and partial recovery rather than complete recovery were observed more often among those who were infected with ureaplasmas. Rifampicin was given to 123 patients, after which chlamydiae were isolated from only one of 53 initially chlamydia-positive men whereas ureaplasmas, insensitive to the antibiotic in vitro, were isolated from 55 of 68 men who had initially positive results. Patients infected with ureaplasmas failed to respond to rifampicin treatment significantly more often than those who were not infected. This was also observed when only patients who had never had NGU or who had not had a recent episode were considered. Furthermore, 24 (44%) of the 55 men whose ureaplasmas persisted failed to recover whereas only one (7·7%) of 13 men whose ureaplasmas disappeared did not respond to treatment. These results suggested that ureaplasmas were a cause of urethritis in some of the men (an estimated 10% at least). In addition, Reiter's disease developed in two men treated with rifampicin from whom only ureaplasmas had been isolated initially. M. hominis did not seem to have an important pathogenic role in NGU and there was evidence that ureaplasmas were an unlikely cause of urethritis in some men since the organisms persisted despite complete clinical recovery.

Chlamydia trachomatis↗

PubMed1979

Pathogenicity of ureaplasmas for animals and man.

Since their original isolation from the genital tract of man, ureaplasmas, previously termed T-strain mycoplasmas, have been isolated from a variety of animal species. Under experimental conditions they have been shown to cause mastitis in cattle, goats and mice, and observations made on naturally-occurring bovine pneumonia, as well as the results of experimental inoculation, suggest that ureaplasmas are responsible for a portion of bovine cuffing pneumonia. Ureaplasmas have been isolated from the genital tract of a wide variety of animals and have the potential for causing disease in this anatomical area, as the results of experimental intra-urethral inoculation of goats, for example, indicate. However, there are no data, as yet, to incriminate ureaplasmas as a cause of naturally-occurring genital tract disease nor as a cause of infertility, the latter being an area in which the results of studies are often conflicting and difficult to interpret. In man, the rôle of ureaplasmas in genito-urinary disease has been a bone of contention for many years. Experimentally, ureaplasmas produce bladder calculi in rats but so far there is no evidence that they do so in man. Further, there are no convincing data to support the notion that infertile couples possessing ureaplasmas should be treated with tetracyclines. There is an undoubted association between spontaneous abortion and low birth-weight on the one hand and the presence of ureaplasmas in the mother, abortus or infant on the other. However, evidence that the organisms cause abortion is lacking and whether they are directly responsible for low birth-weight is unknown. The association between chorioamnionitis and ureaplasma isolation is provocative enough to stimulate further work. In the case of non-gonococcal urethritis, the weight of evidence suggests that ureaplasmas cause the disease in some men. This is based on quantitative isolation, volunteer inoculation, as well as treatment studies including the use of antibiotics, such as rifampicin, which differentiate between chlamydiae and ureaplasmas.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis in chlamydial and non-chlamydial nongonococcal urethritis.

Urethral specimens from 726 patients with nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) were examined for Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, and Mycoplasma hominis. Chlamydiae were isolated from 35.9% of ureaplasma-positive patients and from 36.5% of ureaplasma-negative patients. Ureaplasmas were isolated from 52.5% of chlamydia-positive patients and from 53.1% of chlamydia-negative patients, an observation which contrasts with that of some workers who have suggested that ureaplasmas are significantly associated with chlamydia-negative NGU. Furthermore, the numbers of ureaplasmas isolated from patients who did or did not harbour chlamydiae were not significantly different nor was there a particular association of ureaplasmas with chlamydia-negative NGU in patients experiencing their first episode of disease. In addition, M. hominis was not isolated more frequently from those from whom chlamydiae were or were not isolated. The only significant associations were the isolation of M. hominis from patients who were ureaplasma-positive and of ureaplasmas from those who were M. hominis-positive. These findings do not necessarily mitigate against ureaplasmas being responsible for some cases of chlamydia-negative NGU.

Chlamydia trachomatis↗

PubMed1978

Studies of the specificity of ureaplasmas for marmosets.

Marmosets, from which endogenous ureaplasmas had been eradicated by treatment with minocycline, were tested for susceptibility to infection by ureaplasmas from the genital and respiratory tracts of other animal species. They could be infected with ureaplasmas of human and simian origin, but were resistant to bovine and canine ureaplasmas. The results indicated that human, marmoset and squirrel-monkey ureaplasmas may form a biological subgroup, distinct from bovine and canine ureaplasmas, and that host range should not be ignored as a parameter for classification.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Ureaplasma urealyticum and human infertility: the effect of antibiotic therapy on semen quality.

Semen characteristics were evaluated in 64 men visiting our infertility clinic before and after the eradication of genital infection with Ureaplasma urealyticum. Semen quality was also analyzed in 9 men who were unsuccessfully treated for genital Ureaplasma infection, 11 men who had negative cultures and received no treatment, and 11 men who had negative cultures but received empirical antibiotic therapy. A significant improvement in spermatozoal motility (both the speed of forward progession and the percentage of motile cells) was found in the group that was successfully treated for Ureaplasma infection. Improvements were not demonstrated in any of the other patient groups. A correlation was found between improved motility and a decrease in certain abnormal features of seminal cytology that appear to be associated with Ureaplasma genital infection.

Cell Count↗

PubMed1977

Differences in the growth requirements of some strains of Ureaplasma urealyticum of human origin.

The growth requirements of Ureaplasma urealyticum strains T-McA, T-Pi, T-27, and T-207 were studied. All strains grew in T-broth containing horse serum. Only strain T-McA grew in broth containing serum fraction A, a finding that confirmed that ureaplasmas are not homogeneous and suggested that they can be divided into two species on the basis of their requirement for horse serum. The growth factors required by T-McA are arginine, cystine, methionine, and unidentified metabolites in serum fraction A and trypticase soy broth. The vitamins in Eagle's minimal essential medium are not essential metabolites for T-McA but enhanced its growth. Therefore, we recommend that these vitamins be incorporated in ureaplasma media and that the effect of supplementing media with arginine, cystine, and methionine for the primary isolation of ureaplasmas be ascertained.

Arginine↗

PubMed1977

Genital Ureaplasmas in nonhuman primates.

Ureaplasmas were isolated from the genital tracts of four of 22 (18.4%) male chimpanzees and eight of 23 (34.8%) female chimpanzees. Twenty-nine female rhesus monkeys, 38 female baboons, one gibbon, and black ape and one Java monkey were shown to be free of genital Ureaplasmas. The rate of reproductive failure among the chimpanzees was high and it is suggested that Ureaplasma may be responsible in part. The chimpanzee may serve as a useful model for human Ureaplasma genital infections.

Abortion, Veterinary↗

PubMed2026

Integrated multi-omics analysis reveals a pH-driven metabolic and translational switch in Ureaplasma parvum.

Human ureaplasmas are minimal-genome bacteria and pathobionts of the urogenital tract. They must adapt to fluctuating pH conditions despite the absence of canonical transcriptional regulatory systems. However, the mechanisms underlying these responses remain unclear. This study aimed to construct a system-level model of pH adaptation in this minimal pathogen. We used an integrated multi-omics platform combining proteomics, metabolomics, and RNA modification profiling to construct a system-level model of pH adaptation. The results revealed a bifurcated strategy governed by the differential activation of preexisting, co-regulated functional modules. Under neutral pH conditions (pH 7), Ureaplasma parvum activated energy metabolism and upregulated ATP synthesis while forming a stress-counteracting proteostasis pathway. This may suggest a biological energy state under high stress conditions. Conversely, under acidic stress (pH 5), it activated biosynthesis/translation, showing significant upregulation of ribosomal proteins and accumulation of translation precursors and the polyamine spermidine. This may represent a state of expanded translational capacity. This adaptive switch is accompanied by dynamic reorganization of the epitranscriptome, highlighting the importance of post-transcriptional regulation. This study suggests mechanisms by which minimal organisms achieve adaptive plasticity through sophisticated post-transcriptional and metabolic control, providing a new framework for understanding Ureaplasma physiology and the biology of genome-reduced organisms.IMPORTANCEMinimal bacteria challenge canonical views of cellular regulation. In organisms with radically reduced genomes and sparse transcription factors, how adaptive plasticity is achieved remains a core question. Our study proposes a model in which a simple physicochemical cue-extracellular pH-selects among prewired cellular programs, while post-transcriptional and epitranscriptomic layers fine-tune execution. The findings of this study suggest a multi-omics scheme for how organisms adapt to environmental changes and ensure survival without inducing new circuits or complex transcriptional regulation. Conceptually, it proposes regulation via RNA modifications in processes, such as metabolism, proteostasis, and translation. This framework may be generalizable to other genome-reduced microorganisms. Beyond microbiology, it provides design principles for synthetic biology and offers a mechanistic interpretation of phenotypic tolerance to stress factors. It may encourage the use of pH-linked epitranscriptome signals as measurable indicators of cellular state.

Hydrogen-Ion Concentration↗

PubMed1976

Differential response of chlamydial and ureaplasma-associated urethritis to sulphafurazole (sulfisoxazole) and aminocyclitols.

91 men with non-gonococcal urethritis (N.G.U.) were randomly treated with either sulphafurazole (sulfisoxazole), 500 mg orally q.i.d. for 10 days, or an aminocyclitol (streptomycin or spectinomycin), 2 g intramuscularity for 1 to 3 doses at 12 h intervals. Initial urethral cultures were positive for Chlamydia trachomatis (C) in 36 (40%). Ureaplasma urealyticum (U) was isolated from the urethra or urine from20 (95%) of 21 White men in a first episode of N.G.U. who had negative chlamydia cultures. Sulphafurazole, active against C. trachomatis but not U. urealyticum in vitro, produced a clinical response in 7 of 7 men with C+U- N.G.U. and 5 of 19 with C-U+ N.G.U. (P less than 0-01). Aminocyclitols, active against U. urealyticum but relatively inactive against C. trachomatis in vitro produced a clinical response in 0 of 6 men with C+U-N.G.U., 9 of 11 men with C-U+N.G.U. from whom ureaplasma was eradicated (P less than 0-01), and 0 of 8 with C-U+ N.G.U. from whom ureaplasma was not eradicated. C+U+ N.G.U. responded poorly to both antimicrobials alone. These results support the aetiological importance of both C. trachomatis and U. urealyticum in N.G.U.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed1977

Effects of carbon dioxide, urea, and ammonia on growth of Ureaplasma urealyticum (T-strain mycoplasma).

By use of a simple device for continuous CO2 gassing of Ureaplasma urealyticum cultures growing in a liquid medium, we have been able to separate some of the effects of urea, CO2, ammonia, and pH on growth. The CO2 acted as a superior buffer in the pH range 5.7 to 6.8, which is optimal for Ureaplasma growth. It was, therefore, possible to observe the effect of repeated additions of urea to the culture without alkalinization of the growth medium. We found that the repeated additions of urea did not enhance Ureaplasma growth, and the resultant accumulation of ammonium ions (greater than 2,000 microng/ml) did not cause more rapid death under these conditions. By abruptly changing the gaseous environment from CO2 to N2, it was possible to cause a rapid pH change in the culture to a value above 8.0. This resulted in a more rapid death of the organisms.

Ammonia↗

PubMed1977

Localization of enzymes in Ureaplasma urealyticum (T-strain mycoplasma).

Ureaplasma urealyticum cells were lysed by osmotic shock or by digitonin. The membrane fraction contained four to ten times as much protein as the cytoplasmic fraction. These values are in large excess of those reported for classical mycoplasmas, suggesting that the Ureaplasma membrane fraction was heavily contaminated with proteins derived from the growth medium. The U. urealyticum urease activity was localized in the cytoplasmic fraction, whereas the adenosine triphosphatase activity was localized in the membrane fraction. Significant urease activity could be detected also in nonviable cells. Urea, at concentrations above 0.25 M, was mycoplasmastatic to Acholeplasma laidlawii, Mycoplasma hominis, and U. urealyticum, so that the Ureaplasma urease did not afford preferential protection against urea toxicity. The intracellular localization of the urease would be expected to release ammonia from urea in the cytoplasm. The ammonia will take up protons to become ammonium ions. It can be hypothesized that the intracellular NH4+ plays a role in proton elimination or acid-base balance, which might be coupled to an energy producing ion gradient and/or transport mechanisms.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

PubMed1976

The occurrence of ureaplasmas in marmosets.

Ureaplasmas were isolated from the oropharynx of all of 22 male and 19 female adult marmosets and from the genital tract of about a quarter of them. These ureaplasmas seem to be natural inhabitants of the oropharynx and not of human origin because half the animals had had very limited human contact and preliminary serological tests indicate that the organisms are not the same as the known human serotypes. 11 babies born in captivity were found to have oropharyngeal organisms usually within 24 h of birth and the oropharynx of the parents was thought to be the most likely source. The marmoset may be a useful model for studying the role of ureaplasmas in human disease.

Animals↗

PubMed1978

Isolation of Ureaplasma from bovine granular vulvitis.

Cultures for mycoplasmatales, viruses and bacteria were made from bovine vulvar swabs to determine whether ureaplasma was associated with a clinical granular vulvitis observed in 16 Ontario dairy herds. Ureaplasma was isolated from 23.5% of 34 clinically normal cows, 74% of 27 cows with mild to moderate vulvar hyperemia but no discharge and 100% of 20 cows with acute vulvar hyperemia accompanied by purulent discharge. There were statistically significant differences in rates of isolation among clinical groups. Mycoplasma bovigenitalium was isolated from 7.7% and 20% of cows with moderate or acute vulvitis respectively but not from normal cows. Haemophilus somnus was isolated from 25% of cows with acute vulvitis. There were no significant differences in isolations of Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium pyogenes and alpha-hemolytic streptococcus between normal and clinically affected animals. Cultures of 135 repeat samples from 33 cows revealed that ureaplasma persisted in some animals for at least three months. No viruses were isolated from any of the animals in this study.

Animals↗

PubMed1978

Light microscopy as an aid in predicting ureaplasma infection in human semen.

The potential role of Ureaplasma urealyticum in human infertility make it desirable to screen barren couples for this infection. Semen specimens from 96 consecutive patients were evaluated in our clinic. Microbiologic results were correlated with the percentage of coiled and fuzzy tails in seminal cytology. These features were then used in a double-blind study to predict Ureaplasma infection in another group of 100 randomly selected patients. It was possible to predict the presence or absence of Ureaplasma prior to laboratory culture in 70% of specimens. False-positive diagnoses were made in 19%. The diagnosis was false-negative in 11%.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

PubMed1977

[Comparison of media for the isolation of Ureaplasma urealyticum (author's transl)].

Two liquid media and two agar media were compared for their sensitivity in the isolation of Ureaplasma urealyticum. 22 of the 144 urine specimens examined were positive. The U9-medium with low serum content showed a higher isolation rate and earlier results than a medium with 20% serum (Table 1). However some cultures grew sometimes better in the serum rich medium, suggesting a growth enhancing effect of urine in the U9-cultures. On agar more positive cases were detected with the A6-differential agar which showed urease-activity by brown color (MnO2), and less specimens were positive on A5C-agar without manganese sulfate (19 vs. 16). The number of colonies was only slightly lower on A5C-agar (Fig. 3). The darkbrown colonies on A6 (Fig. 1) were easy to detect and to count. Filtration of the urine specimens through a polycarbonate filter (0.4mum) reduced the number of bacterial contaminations, but resulted also in a lower isolation rate of ureaplasmas (13 of 22). This is probably caused by the tendency of ureaplasmas to attach to other structures e.g. epithelial cells (Fig. 2). For isolation of U. urealyticum from clinical specimens a combination of a liquid medium and a differential agar-medium is recommended.

Agar↗

PubMed1978

[The importance of ureaplasma urealyticum in non-specific prostato-urethritis (author's transl)].

312 patients with non-specific prostato-urethritis were investigated with a standardised procedure using the four glass test. In 42.3% of patients mycoplasma was isolated which in almost all cases was Ureaplasma urealyticum. Clinically patients were symptom-free after eradication of mycoplasma in cases where previously urea-plasma counts of more than 10,000 CFU/ml prostatic secretion and of more than 1000 CFU/ml urine had been demonstrated. In cases where there were smaller counts of Ureaplasma urealyticum and where Mycoplasma hominis had been demonstrated tetracycline therapy did not lead to cure in any case.

Adult↗

PubMed1977

The effect of growth and urea concentration on ammonia production by a urea-hydrolysing mycoplasma (Ureaplasma urealyticum).

The rate of accumulation of ammonium ion in cultures of Ureaplasma urealyticum was independent of the growth rate and of the initial urea concentration above 0-025% in the medium, although the quantity of ammonium ion accumulating did depend on the initial urea concentration. Ammonium ions accumulated at a similar rate in U. urealyticum cultures of both rapidly and slowly growing organisms. Viable but non-growing ureaplasmas also produced ammonia in complete medium at a lower temperature than usual (25 degrees C) or in an inadequate growth medium at 37 degrees C. The rate of ammonium ion accumulation in a dying culture depended on the number of viable organisms present; this is relevant to diagnostic methods for ureaplasms which depend on detecting ammonia colorimetrically.

Ammonia↗

PubMed1978

Urethral infection of chimpanzees by Ureaplasma urealyticum.

Two strains of Ureaplasma urealyticum serotype V that had produced urethritis in human volunteers were, after a number of subcultures in artificial media, introduced intra-urethrally into three chimpanzees. One strain given to two chimpanzees rapidly multiplied 1000-fold whereas there was less evidence that organisms of another strain multiplied in a third animal. Over a 14-day period the ureaplasmas persisted in all animals, did not spread to the throat and did not produce an inflammatory response. After this time they were eliminated by tetracycline therapy.

Animals↗