DISTRIBUTION OF MYCOPLASMA SPP. AND UREAPLASMA SPP. AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN

Anton G. Petrov1, Vladislav M. Nankov2, Rositsa V. Petrova3, Irena I. Gencheva4, Milena D. Karcheva5 1) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University-Pleven, Pleven, Bulgaria 2) University Research Laboratory, Medical University Pleven, Bulgaria 3) Department of Hygiene, Medical Ecology, Professional Diseases and Disaster Medicine,Faculty of Public Health, Medical University-Pleven, Bulgaria 4) Department of Clinical Immunology, Allergology and Clinical Laboratory, Faculty of Health Care, Medical University Pleven, Bulgaria 5) Department of Epidemiology, Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University Pleven, Bulgaria. Journal of IMAB Annual Proceeding (Scientific Papers). 2021 Jan-Mar;27(1) Journal of IMAB ISSN: 1312-773X https://www.journal-imab-bg.org


INTRODUCTION:
The bacteria of the genus Mycoplasma and the genus Ureaplasma are small free-living microorganisms that inhabit the mucous membranes of the respiratory and urogenital tracts in humans. They are conditionally pathogenic microorganisms and usually do not cause disease. Under adequate conditions, they can cause acute, chronic and latent infections. M. pneumonia, M. hominis, M. genitalium and U. urealyticum are of the greatest importance for human pathology. In rare cases, mycoplasmas penetrate the submucosa and cause invasive diseases. The transmission of bacteria takes place through direct contact between people, including household and sexual contact. Children up to 5 years of age carry the infection subclinical. The most susceptible are young people. Significant colonization of Mycoplasma has been found predominantly in pregnant women compared to non-pregnant women [1]. The presence of Mycoplasma spp. and Ureaplasma spp. in the genitourinary tract of pregnant women is associated with miscarriages, premature birth, premature rupture of the amniotic membranes and birth of children at low gestational age. According to J. Hubenova (1982), Mycoplasma spp. can cause intrauterine infection of the fetus. Newborns are often colonized with Mycoplasma spp. and Ureaplasma spp. during birth, if the mothers are carriers without active infection.
M. hominis resides commensally in the cervix and vagina. The frequency of colonization in different studies varies between 20% and 50% [2, 3]. M. hominis can be isolated from the endometrium and fallopian tubes in about 10% of women with salpingitis. A number of studies have suggested that M. hominis is potentially pathogenic and has been linked to a variety of disorders: bacterial vaginosis, pyelonephritis, pelvic inflammatory disease, chorioamnionitis, endometritis, preterm birth, low birth, miscarriage, stillbirth, postpartum fever and perinatal mortality, and infertility [4,5,6]. Ureaplasma are directly as-https://doi.org/10.5272/jimab.2021271.3630 sociated with inflammation and can invade the amniotic sac early during the pregnancy if intact fetal membranes are present, causing persistent infection and adverse pregnancy outcome [4,7].
Colonization of the newborn by genital mycoplasmas can occur if the mother's lower genital tract is infected during birth or in utero earlier during the pregnancy. This can remain transient and without consequences. The level of vertical transmission is from 18% to 55% among newborns from colonized mothers.
The purpose of the present study is to determine the prevalence of genital mycoplasmas (M. genitalium, M. hominis, U. parvum, U. urealyticum) in the lower parts of the genital tract in pregnant women by molecular biological methods.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:
A prospective epidemiological study of 107 pregnant women hospitalized in the Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital-Pleven, Bulgaria, was conducted. Vaginal secretion samples were taken from all 107 pregnant women for the period from September to Decemberq 2020. A Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to detect the genomic DNA of the bacteria in pregnant women of different ages and of different ethnicities. Women were divided into three age groups. The first group consisted of pregnant women up to 20 years (n = 27), the second group-between 21 and 35 years (n = 66) and the third group -more than 35 years (n = 14). Demographic data were collected through interviews and surveys. The data are processed with a statistical software package STATGRAPHICSPlus and Microsoft Exel 2010. The study was performed at the University Research Laboratory at Medical University-Pleven. The results were processed with a statistical office suite and presented in tables and figures.

RESULTS:
The studied 107 pregnant women hospitalized in the Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pleven, were aged from 15 to 41 years, an average of 27 ± sd 6.988. The highest is the relative share of women in the age group from 20 to 35 years was the highest -66 (64.68%), followed by women under 20 years -27 (25.23%) and women over 35 years -14 (13.08%). The species distribution of the identified Mycoplasma spp. and Ureaplasma spp. is shown on Figure 1.  (Table 1). The results obtained by the surveyed women in the three age groups are shown on Table 2.