The Role of Ureaplasma urealyticum in male non-gonococcal urethritis in Tabriz

Objective: The aim of the current study was to assess the incidence of U. urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis in men with nongonococcal urethritis in Tabriz. Materials and Methods: Two hundred men with confirmed urethritis and 50 healthy men of similar age as control group were investigated for Ureaplasma urealyticum at the medical microbiology laboratory of Sina and Emam hospitals of Tabriz University between 1st October 2003 and 30th April 2004. Results: Fifty six (28%) of the 200 patients had gonococcal urethritis whilst 144 (72%) had non-gonococcal urethritis. Twenty nine (20.14%) of specimens showed urea positive organisms in broth cultures which in incubation on solid medium, 27 (18.75%) of them were identified as U. urealyticum. Mycoplasma hominis was detected in only five cases (3.47%). In wet preparation three (2.08%) Trichomonas vaginalis were observed. The difference in the occurrence of U. urealyticum between the patients and the control group was highly statistically significant (p<0.001). The age range of peak incidence among the patients investigated was 26-35 years. There was evidence of urethritis in all the 27 U. urealyticum positive cases as shown by the presence of increase in the number of polymorphonuclear leucocytes in the specimens collected. Conclusion: Isolation of 27(18.75%) U. urealyticum among studied population showed that this organism has comparatively high prevalence in patients with nongonococcal urethritis.