Evaluation of the Prevalence of Mycoplasma hominis in Pregnant Women with Premature Rupture of Membranes by Culture and PCR Techniques in Ardabil Province

Mycoplasma hominis (M. hominis) is one of the smallest free-living prokaryotes and it is one of the most famous pathogenic Mycoplasmas of the human reproductive system which causes miscarriage, vaginosis, infertility, premature birth with low weight, meningitis, and pneumonia. This research aimed to study the prevalence of premature rupture of membranes (PROM) of pregnant mothers due to M. hominis in women's hospitals of Ardabil province with two techniques of PCR and culture.

Methods and Materials: 

This case-control study was conducted on 100 pregnant women with PROM and 50 healthy women without symptoms (control) referring to women's hospitals in Ardabil province. After sampling by cervical swap, the samples were evaluated for the presence of M. hominis by culture and PCR methods.

In the case group of 100 studied patients, 39 samples (39%) were recognized positive for M. hominis by culture method and 51 samples (51%) were recognized positive by PCR method. Furthermore, in the control group, out of 50 examined samples, 7 samples (14%) were diagnosed as positive for M. hominis by culture method and 9 samples (18%) were recognized positive by PCR method. There were statistically significant relationship among age group, history of abortion, vaginal infection before pregnancy and spontaneous rupture of membranes in pregnant women with the risk of contracting M. hominis followed by PROM in pregnant women (p<0.05).

PROM of pregnant mothers due to contamination with M. hominis is high and it is more common. Compared to the culture method, the PCR method is more suitable and specific for identifying positive cases of M. hominis in pregnant women who have PROM.