TY - JOUR
T1 - Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma, and adverse pregnancy outcomes
T2 - A fresh look
AU - Larsen, Bryan
AU - Hwang, Joseph
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Recent work on the Molicutes that associate with genital tract tissues focuses on four species that may be of interest in potential maternal, fetal, and neonatal infection and in contributing to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum have historically been the subject of attention, but Mycoplasma genitalis which causes male urethritis in addition to colonizing the female genital tract and the division of Ureaplasma into two species, urealyticum and parvum, has also added new taxonomic clarity. The role of these genital tract inhabitants in infection during pregnancy and their ability to invade and infect placental and fetal tissue is discussed. In particular, the role of some of these organisms in prematurity may be mechanistically related to their ability to induce inflammatory cytokines, thereby triggering pathways leading to preterm labor. A review of this intensifying exploration of the mycoplasmas in relation to pregnancy yields several questions which will be important to examine in future research.
AB - Recent work on the Molicutes that associate with genital tract tissues focuses on four species that may be of interest in potential maternal, fetal, and neonatal infection and in contributing to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum have historically been the subject of attention, but Mycoplasma genitalis which causes male urethritis in addition to colonizing the female genital tract and the division of Ureaplasma into two species, urealyticum and parvum, has also added new taxonomic clarity. The role of these genital tract inhabitants in infection during pregnancy and their ability to invade and infect placental and fetal tissue is discussed. In particular, the role of some of these organisms in prematurity may be mechanistically related to their ability to induce inflammatory cytokines, thereby triggering pathways leading to preterm labor. A review of this intensifying exploration of the mycoplasmas in relation to pregnancy yields several questions which will be important to examine in future research.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77955376537&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77955376537&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1155/2010/521921
DO - 10.1155/2010/521921
M3 - Review article
C2 - 20706675
AN - SCOPUS:77955376537
SN - 1064-7449
VL - 2010
JO - Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology
JF - Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology
M1 - 521921
ER -