Determination of cervicovaginal microorganisms in women with abnormal cervical cytology: the role of Ureaplasma urealyticum.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the existence of an association between cervicovaginal infections and precancerous lesions of the uterine cervix, through determination of prevalent cervicovaginal micro-organisms, alone and in association with human papillomavirus (HPV), in patients with abnormal and normal vaginal cytology. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with abnormal vaginal cytology were divided into three study groups according to cytological findings: ASC-US, L-SIL and H-SIL. All patients underwent colposcopic examination and exoendocervical and vaginal sampling for microbiological and molecular analysis for detection of HPV-DNA, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, mycetes and common bacteria. Results were compared with the patient group asymptomatic for cervicovaginal inflammation with negative vaginal cytology and colposcopy.
RESULTS: A high association between Ureaplasma urealyticum infection and the grade of cytological cervical lesion (27% for ASC-US, 35% for L-SIL and 45% for H-SIL) was found. Furthermore, 19% of the control group samplings were positive for Ureaplasma urealyticum, significantly less than that observed in the positive cytology groups. An interesting association of HPV with Ureaplasma urealyticum in patients with H-SIL vaginal cytology (83%), much higher than that observed in patients with slightly abnormal or normal vaginal cytology (56% for ASC-US, 49% for L-SIL, 40% for normal cytology) was also identified. In contrast, the association between Papillomavirus and multiple microorganisms seemed to decrease with the level of cellular dysplasia in 30% of controls, 33% of ASC-US, 32% of L-SIL and 17% of H-SIL.
CONCLUSION: The presence of a high Ureaplasma urealyticum level seems to be a cofactor of HPV infection, a necessary cause of precancerous lesions of the uterine cervix. The presence of Ureaplasma urealyticum may play a role both in initiating viral cellular anomalies and in viral persistence. It can be hypothesized that these initial processes are helped by a state of cervical inflammation, also supported by multiple microorganisms. It would, thus, be suggested for all patients who present with an abnormal PAP test to undergo a cervicovaginal microbiological examination to detect potentially pathogenic microbes for correct diagnosis and treatment, as well as a more complete follow-up of cervical cytological lesions.