Detection of Ureaplasma Urealyticum and Ureaplasma Parvum in Amniotic Fluid: Association with Pregnancy Outcomes

Objective: Ureaplasma urealyticum is one of the organisms most frequently isolated from the amniotic fluid of women with adverse pregnancy. The prevalence of U. urealyticum and U. parvum on samples of amniotic fluid from healthy asymptomatic pregnant women, and whether its detection is associated with P-PROM or preterm birth was investigated.

Methods: Transabdominal amniotic fluid obtained from 121 asymptomatic women at 16-20 weeks of gestation were tested for the detection of Ureaplasma spp., using a selective culture media. A Multiplex-Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method was used for the identification of U. parvum and U. urealyticum. Pregnancy outcomes were obtained after the completion of all testing.

Results: Ureaplasma spp. was not identified by culture, but was identified by Multiplex-PCR in four subjects, two corresponding to U. parvum and two to U. urealyticum. The women positive to ureaplasmas had normal labor, and babies born from infected-ureaplasmas pregnant women had normal weight birth. Preterm birth with intact membranes was documented in four women, all negative to ureaplasmas, but associated with gestational hypertension, lost of liquids and low weight birth.

Conclusions: Multiplex-PCR method was more sensitive that culture in detecting ureaplasma organism in amniotic fluid. No association of ureaplasmas with pregnancy outcomes was found.