EDUCATIONAL GUIDE Vivalytic MG, MH, UP/UU

Introduction Mycoplasma spp. and Ureaplasma spp. belong to a class of bacteria called Mollicutes and are the smallest organisms of the class. These sexually transmitted pathogens can cause both asymptomatic and symptomatic infections, the latter being associated with both acute and chronic infection of the genitourinary tract. These bacterial species are considered commensal but shifts in their prevalence and persistence can cause serious health concerns. The prevalence of these species is higher in women who present with symptoms of genitourinary tract infections than men. Furthermore, these...

Mycoplasma spp M. genitalium & M. hominis Mycoplasma spp. are of the bacterial class mollicutes. These species lack a cell wall, and therefore cannot be identified through gram-staining1 and lack the crucial enzymes for amino acid biosynthesis2. Long term exposure to high loads of these species of bacteria has been associated with oncogenic processes known to be related to proliferation, invasiveness, and metastasis of cancerous cells2. Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) contains the smallest genome of self-replicating prokaryotes, consisting of around 500 genes. Methods of transmission are generally...

Ureaplasma spp U. urealyticum & U. parvum Ureaplasma spp. are one of the most prevalent bacteria with pathogenic potential. They are thought to have evolved from gram-positive bacteria through degenerative evolution, causing them to lose their peptidoglycan cell wall7. These bacteria are insensitive to β-lactam antibiotics and can be transmitted either through sexual contact or from mother to child either during pregnancy or through infected bodily fluids at the time of birth. Ureaplasma spp. bind to mucosal surfaces, facilitated by cytoadherence proteins found on their bacterial surface. The...

Pregnancy Complications and Infertility Pregnancy complications and infertility are commonly associated with many sexually transmitted pathogens including Mycoplasma spp. and Ureaplasma spp.. The table below details the reproductive complications associated with these bacteria: Pregnancy Complications Detection of MG in infertile women is significantly higher than in reproductively healthy women suggesting MG is an independent risk factor for infertility – MG is carried by sperm to the uterus where it translocates through the endometrium to the Fallopian tubes where it colonises the Fallopian...

Antimicrobial Resistance Much of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) displayed by these bacteria can be accredited to their ability to form biofilms. These biofilms block antibiotic activity through a variety of mechanisms which reduce binding affinity and, in some cases, excrete enzymes which break down antibiotics, blocking their effectiveness. For example, MG is known to be more than 80% resistant to macrolide administration. Secondary treatment strategies utilise the fluoroquinolones class of antibiotics, however, in the UK the cure rate associated with moxifloxacin has dropped from 96% to...

Gnanadurai R, Fifer H. Mycoplasma genitalium: A Review. Microbiology. 2019;166(1). doi:https://doi. org/10.1099/mic.0.000830 2. Yu J, Zhou Y, Luo H, et al. Mycoplasma genitalium infection in the female reproductive system: Diseases and treatment. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2023;14. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1098276 3. Jensen JS, Cusini M, Gomberg M, Moi H, Wilson J, Unemo M. 2021 European guideline on the management of Mycoplasma genitalium infections. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. 2022;36(5):641-650. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.17972 4. Margarita...

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