T mycoplasma in human reproductive failure.

In a study of 50 women of child-bearing age, half of whom had infertility problems, it was demonstrated that the infertile group more commonly yielded Ureaplasma urealyticum on culture (84% versus 60%), had more than twice the recoveries from the endocervical canal than fertile women had (80% verse 36%), and grew a much higher log number of T mycoplasma from this locus. No particular serotype predominated as an isolate from infertile women in this study, although antisera to serotype 3 inhibited growth of most of the T mycoplasma recovered. Strains insensitive to erythromycin were recoverable from more than half of the fertile women. Of 143 patients without fertility problems there was no significant difference in Ureaplasma isolation between women who used an intrauterine device (IUD) and those who did not.