Main etiological agents identified in 170 men with urethritis attended at the Fundação Alfredo da Matta, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

Aetiological molecular identification of sexually transmitted infections that cause urethral discharge syndrome and genital ulcer disease in Brazilian men: a nationwide study

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the aetiology of urethral discharge syndrome (UDS) and genital ulcer disease (GUD) in Brazil due to limited access to laboratory tests and treatment based mainly on the syndromic approach.

OBJECTIVES

To update Brazilian treatment guidelines according to the current scenario, the first nationwide aetiological study for UDS and GUD was performed.

METHODS

Male participants with urethral discharge (UD) and/or genital ulcer (GU) reports were enrolled. Sample collection was performed by 12 sentinel sites located in the five Brazilian regions. Between 2018 and 2020, 1141 UD and 208 GU samples were collected in a Universal Transport Medium-RT (Copan). A multiplex quantitative PCR kit (Seegene) was used to detect UD: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), M. hominis (MH), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), Ureaplasma parvum (UP), U. urealyticum (UU) and another kit to detect GU: cytomegalovirus (CMV), Haemophilus ducreyi (HD), herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2), lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), Treponema pallidum (TP) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV).

RESULTS

In UD samples, the frequency of pathogen detection was NG: 78.38%, CT: 25.6%, MG: 8.3%, UU: 10.4%, UP: 3.5%, MH: 3.5% and TV: 0.9%. Coinfection was assessed in 30.9% of samples, with 14.3% of NG/CT coinfection. The most frequent pathogen identified in GU was HSV2, present in 40.8% of the samples, followed by TP at 24.8%, LGV and CMV at 1%, and HSV1 at 0.4%. Coinfection of TP/HSV2 was detected in 4.4% of samples. VZV and HD were not detected. In 27.7% of the GU samples, no pathogen was detected.

CONCLUSION

This study provided the acquisition of unprecedented data on the aetiology of UDS and GUD in Brazil, demonstrated the presence of a variety of pathogens in both sample types and reaffirmed the aetiologies known to be most prevalent globally.

Sexually Transmitted Infections in Male Patients with Urethritis

(1) Background: Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in men are a significant public health problem due to the consequences they can have, such as chronic diseases, infertility, cancer, and even death. This study aimed to determine the frequency of microorganisms associated with STIs in men with urethritis attending urology consultations, and to explore their clinical correlations. (2) Methods: A population that attended the urology consultation of the University Hospital "Dr. José E. González" was studied. Written consent was obtained, and interviews and clinical history were conducted about specific risk factors identifying signs and symptoms associated with any genitourinary condition; after that, urine samples were collected. Identification of C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae, U. urealyticum, and M. genitalium was based on amplifying species-specific DNA fragments. (3) Results: A total of 200 patients were included. The mean age was 55 years (20-95). According to the interviews, only 32.5% (n = 65) had received prior sex education. Additionally, 75% (n = 150) do not usually use any protection during sexual intercourse. Regarding clinical factors, 69.4% (n = 138) presented burning or pain when urinating. Molecular analysis revealed the presence of C. trachomatis to be 9.5% (n = 19), with U. urealyticum at 13% (n = 26), and M. genitalium at 2% (n = 4). (4) Conclusions: This is the most extensive molecular epidemiological study of the frequency of STIs in men in Mexico in third-level care and its association with different risk factors. As reported globally, a similar frequency of C. trachomatis, U. urealyticum, and M. genitalium was detected.

Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Mycoplasma genitalium among Patients with Urogenital Symptoms in Istanbul

Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Mycoplasma genitalium are the three most commonly reported sexually transmitted bacteria. The present study aimed to investigate the presence of C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae, and M. genitalium in urogenital samples collected from 18-68-year-old Turkish patients who were admitted to the hospital with various urogenital symptoms. A total of 360 patients with symptoms of STD were included in the study. Following DNA extraction by QIAamp Mini Kit, the presence of C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae, and M. genitalium were investigated using multiplex real-time PCR. Causative organisms were identified in 68 (18.9%) of 360 patients. C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae, and M. genitalium were detected in 40 (11.1%), 14 (3.9%), and 28 (7.8%) of the patients, respectively. Patients 21-30 years of age represented more than one-third (37.8%) of positive patients. Of all patients, dual infections of C. trachomatis-M. genitalium, N. gonorrhoeae-C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae-M. genitalium, and triple infection of C. trachomatis-N. gonorrhoeae-M. genitalium were determined in 1.6% (6/360), 1.3% (5/360), 0.2% (1/360), and 0.2% (1/360) of the patients, respectively. In CT-, NG-, and MG-positive patients, different STI agents were also found such as HIV, HBV, HPV, HSV2, T. pallidum, and T. vaginalis. In conclusion, among C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhoeae, and M. genitalium, CT was the most frequently detected bacterial cause of STDs in our hospital at Istanbul. Co-infections, which comprise more than one-fifth of the cases, should not be underestimated. Regular screening and following up of STD agents using multiplex real-time PCR-based diagnostic methods enabling the immediate detection of co-infections are essential for the treatment and primary prevention of STDs.

Ureaplasma urealyticum induces polymorphonuclear elastase to change semen properties and reduce sperm motility: a prospective observational study

Objective

To elucidate the mechanism underlying how Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) affects sperm quality and identify a therapeutic target.

Methods

In this prospective observational study, the differences in and relationships among semen volume, pH, viscosity, liquefaction time, sperm concentration, sperm motility [progressive motility (PR)], and seminal polymorphonuclear (PMN) elastase were analyzed in 198 normal semen samples (control group) and 198 UU-infected semen samples (observation group). The UU-infected samples were treated and the above parameters were compared between the two groups.

Results

The semen volume, viscosity, liquefaction time, and seminal PMN elastase were significantly higher in the observation than control group, but the pH and PR were significantly lower. In the observation group, the pH and PR were significantly higher after than before treatment, whereas the semen volume, PMN elastase, viscosity, and liquefaction time were lower. UU was closely related to semen volume, pH, viscosity, liquefaction time, sperm motility (PR), and PMN elastase. PMN elastase had significant negative effects on semen pH and sperm motility (PR) but positive effects on viscosity and liquefaction time.

Conclusion

UU might induce PMN elastase to increase the liquefaction time and viscosity of semen, eventually decreasing PR. PMN elastase might be a therapeutic target of UU.