Abstract
Purpose
The prevalence of Ureaplasma urealyticumand Mycoplasma hominisin the endocervix at the time of oocyte collection in women undergoing in vitrofertilization (IVF) was examined using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Methods
All women were treated with tetracycline following sample collection.
Results
U. urealyticumwas identified in 56 (17.2%) of 326 women while M. hominiswas present in only 5 (2.1%) of 235 women. U. urealyticumwas detected at a higher frequency (P =0.01) in those women whose IVF cycle failed prior to embryo transfer. This organism was present in 8 of 19 (42.1%) women with either no fertilization or no embryo transfer, 19 of 148 (12.8%) who had no evidence of pregnancy following embryo transfer, 6 of 30 (20,0%) who had only a transient (biochemical) pregnancy, 5 of 14 (35.7%) with a spontaneous abortion, and 18 of 115 (15.6%) with a term birth. Of the eight women with U. urealyticumwho had no embryos transferred, male factor was the cause of infertility in five cases, two women had tubal occlusions while in one woman the diagnosis was idiopathic. Therefore, poor sperm quality, and not a U. urealyticuminfection, might explain the failure of most of these cases to proceed to the stage of embryo transfer. Analysis of all patients revealed no association between male factor infertility and U. urealyticumin the cervix.
Conclusions
U. urealyticum,but not M. hominis,is present in the cervices of many culture-negative women. Its presence, however, does not influence IVF outcome subsequent to embryo transfer in women treated with tetracycline after oocyte retrieval.
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Witkin, S.S., Kligman, I., Grifo, J.A. et al. Ureaplasma urealyticum andMycoplasma hominis detected by the polymerase chain reaction in the cervices of women undergoingin vitro fertilization: Prevalence and consequences. J Assist Reprod Genet 12, 610–614 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02212584
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02212584