Ureaplasma urealyticum in the development of postpartum endometritis

OBJECTIVE: Investigation of the clinical significance of Ureaplasma urealyticum and its biovars in the development of postpartum endometritis. STUDY DESIGN: Cervical swabs were cultured for U. urealyticum in women presenting endometritis. The positive U. urealyticum cultures (>10(5) cfu/ml) (study group) were compared with those from women without endometritis (control group). Anti-Ureaplasma antibodies were measured and U. urealyticum biovars were determined by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: There was no difference between the prevalence of U. urealyticum in the cervical swabs of both groups, however, the number of cfu per culture, showed a significant difference between study and control groups. Out of the culture positive endometritis patients 39% (26/67) had >10(5) cfu/ml compared to 17% of control patients (5/30) P=0.03. No significant disparity between both the groups was found in the prevalence of the parvo biovar (77% versus 71.5%, respectively). The difference in anti-Ureaplasma antibodies reached no statistical significance (30% versus 18% in study and control groups, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The significant difference in U. urealyticum culture cfu between both groups suggests that U. urealyticum may play a role in the etiology of this infection. This involvement is dependent not only on the presence or absence of U. urealyticum in the culture, but on its colonization rate in the cervix (>10(5) cfu/ml).