The prevalence of ureaplasma, mycoplasma and antibodies against chlamydia group antigen in gynecological outpatients.

177 women with an average age of 30 years were investigated for ureaplasma, mycoplasma and for antibodies against the chlamydia group antigen. Specimen of endocervical mucus and catheter specimens of urine were cultured and the ELISA ("enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay") technique applied. In addition the purity class (I to III) of gram-stained vaginal smears was determined. Ureaplasma were isolated from 45.8 and 26.0%, mycoplasma from 9.0 and 7.9% of cervical and urine specimens respectively. The patients were divided into 5 clinical groups. Patients in the first three groups (I-III, inflammatory disorders, bleeding anomalies, benign and malignant neoplasms of the genital tract) showed a significantly (p less than or equal to 0.05) higher colony count of ureaplasma in their urine than patients in the other two groups (IV and V, who had attended the hospital for reproductive problems or for routine examination). There was a clear correlation between the isolation rates of ureaplasma and mycoplasma and the purity classes of the vaginal smears. The rate of isolation increased progressively with class II and III smears. Antibodies against the chlamydia group antigen were detected in about 40% of all sera tested. A very high titer of antibodies reflecting a recent chlamydial infection was found in 11% of the sera tested.