Genital strains of human pleuropneumonia-like organisms.

Klieneberger-Nobel (1961) reviewed in detail the significance of large-colony pleuropneumonia-like organisms (PPLO) in the human genital tract. Unfortunately, at that time, the existence of T-strain PPLO, as described by Shepard (1956), was under dispute. Subsequently, however, Shephard's observation that T-strain PPLO could be isolated from the majority of patients with non-gonococcal urethritis was confirmed (Ford, Rasmussen, and Minken, 1962), the continuous propagation of T-strains was achieved (Ford, 1962), and their morphological definition as PPLO was demonstrated (Ford and MacDonald, 1963). In order to assess the significance of T-strains and large-colony PPLO in the human genital tract, a survey was made to determine, by cultural methods, the incidence of these organisms in different categories of individuals.