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Objectives: Acute epididymitis is often associated with urethritis. Mycoplasma genitalium and Ureaplasma urealyticum have been considered as pathogens of urethritis. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of these microorganisms in men with acute epididymitis. Method: A total of 56 men younger than 40 years-of-age with acute epididymitis were enrolled in the present study between January 2006 and June 2010. First-void urine specimens were subjected to culture of aerobic bacterial species, and examined for the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis, M. genitalium, M. hominis, U. parvum and U. urealyticum by polymerase chain reaction-based assays. Urethral swabs were cultured for Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Results: The number and percentage of patients positive for each microorganism were as follows: Gram-negative bacilli, 2% and 3.6%; Gram-positive cocci, 23% and 41.1%; N. gonorrhoeae, 3% and 5.4%; C. trachomatis, 28% and 50.0%; M. genitalium, 5% and 8.9%; M. hominis, 6% and 10.7%; U. parvum, 6% and 10.7%; and U. urealyticum, 5% and 8.9%. Among 25 men with non-chlamydial non-gonococcal epididymitis, who were negative for Gram-negative bacilli, M. genitalium or U. urealyticum was detected in one man each (4.0%), and M. hominis and/or U. parvum was detected in five (20.0%). Conclusion: In men younger than 40 years-of-age with acute epididymitis, C. trachomatis is a major pathogen. The prevalence of genital mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas are lower, and the role of genital mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas in the development of acute epididymitis remains to be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed the 23S rRNA, gyrA and parC genes of Chlamydia trachomatis DNAs from men with urethritis and determined microbiological outcomes of an extended-release azithromycin (azithromycin-SR) regimen (2 g once daily for 1 day) and a sitafloxacin regimen (100 mg twice daily for 7 days) for chlamydial urethritis to clarify the macrolide and fluoroquinolone resistance status of clinical strains of C. trachomatis . We amplified the portions of 2 alleles of the 23S rRNA gene and the gyrA and parC genes from C. trachomatis DNAs in 284 first-voided urine specimens from men with chlamydial urethritis by PCR and sequenced their PCR products. We enrolled 369 men with chlamydial urethritis, comprising 314 and 55 treated with the azithromycin-SR regimen and the sitafloxacin regimen, respectively. Alleles 1 and/or 2 of the 23S rRNA gene were analyzed in 162 specimens. No mutations were found in the sequenced regions, including the central portion of domain V. The gyrA and parC genes were analyzed in 118 and 113 specimens, respectively. No amino acid changes were found within the quinolone resistance-determining region of the gyrA gene and in the sequenced region of the parC gene. The microbiological outcomes of the azithromycin-SR and sitafloxacin regimens were assessed in 176 and 30 men, respectively. The eradication rates were 96.0% (95% CI 93.1%–98.9%) for the azithromycin-SR regimen and 100% for the sitafloxacin regimen. Clinical strains of C. trachomatis with macrolide and/or fluoroquinolone resistance would be uncommon, and azithromycin or fluoroquinolone regimens could be recommended as treatments for chlamydial infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There have been few comprehensive studies on Haemophilus influenza-positive urethritis.Methods: In this retrospective study, we enrolled 68 men with H. influenzae-positive urethritis, including coinfections with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, and/or genital mycoplasmas: 2, 3, 20, and 43 treated with ceftriaxone, levofloxacin, sitafloxacin, and extended-release azithromycin (azithromycin-SR), respectively. We assessed microbiological outcomes in 54 men and clinical outcomes in 46 with H. influenzae-positive monomicrobial nongonococcal urethritis. We determined minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 6 antimicrobial agents for 59 pretreatment isolates.Results: H. influenzae was eradicated from the men treated with ceftriaxone, levofloxacin, or sitafloxacin. The eradication rate with azithromycin-SR was 85.3%. The disappearance or alleviation of urethritis symptoms and the decreases in leukocyte counts in first-voided urine were significantly associated with the eradication of H. influenzae after treatment. For the isolates, ceftriaxone, levofloxacin, sitafloxacin, azithromycin, tetracycline, and doxycycline MICs were ≤0.008-0.25, 0.008-0.5, 0.001-0.008, 0.12-1, 0.25-16, and 0.25-2 μg/mL, respectively. The azithromycin MICs for 3 of 4 strains persisting after azithromycin-SR administration were 1 μg/mL. H. influenzae with an azithromycin MIC of 1 μg/mL increased chronologically.Conclusions: H. influenzae showed good responses to the chemotherapies for urethritis. The significant associations of the clinical outcomes of the chemotherapies with their microbiological outcomes suggested that H. influenzae could play pathogenic roles in urethritis. All isolates, except for one with decreased susceptibility to tetracyclines, were susceptible to the examined agents. However, the increase in H. influenzae with an azithromycin MIC of 1 μg/mL might threaten efficacies of azithromycin regimens on H. influenzae-positive urethritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlamydia trachomatis causes acute non-gonococcal urethritis, but some infected men are asymptomatic. We examined leukocytes in uncentrifuged first-voided urine (FVU) from asymptomatic men at high risk for chlamydial infection by automated urine particle analyzers to assess whether the quantification of urinary leukocytes could predict chlamydial infection in these men. We enrolled 209 asymptomatic men, whose female sexual partners had been diagnosed as having a genital chlamydial infection. Their FVU specimens were examined for quantification of leukocytes with automated urine particle analyzers and tested for Neisseria gonorrhoeae , C. trachomatis , Mycoplasma genitalium , Mycoplasma hominis , Ureaplasma parvum , and Ureaplasma urealyticum by nucleotide acid amplification tests. Eleven men positive for N. gonorrhoeae or M. genitalium were excluded from further analysis. In the remaining 198 men, 84 positive for C. trachomatis (42.4%) had 1.8–1666.9 white blood cells (WBCs)/μl (median, 43.3 WBCs/μl) in their FVU, whereas 114 negative for C. trachomatis had 0.1–1378 WBCs/μl (median, 4.8 WBCs/μl). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to examine the sensitivity and specificity of leukocytes counts for predicting chlamydial infection. A cut-off point of leukocyte counts of 12.5 WBCs/μl was determined from the ROC curve, resulting in a sensitivity of 86.9% and specificity of 88.6% for predicting chlamydial infection. Leukocyte quantification in FVU by automated urine particle analyzers showed good performance in predicting the positivity and negativity for chlamydial infection in asymptomatic men. This test could potentially develop into a relevant tool for preselecting asymptomatic men prior to C. trachomatis screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several microorganisms cause non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU). Failure to eradicate Mycoplasma genitalium from the urethra could be associated with persistent or recurrent urethritis; thus, the choice of antibiotics with activities potent enough to eradicate M. genitalium is crucial in the treatment of NGU. In in vitro studies, sitafloxacin has been shown to be highly active against Chlamydia trachomatis and M. genitalium. We treated 89 males with NGU, including 15 patients with persistent or recurrent NGU and 1 patient with post-gonococcal urethritis, with a 100-mg twice-daily dose regimen of sitafloxacin to assess its efficacy against NGU. We examined first-void urine samples for the presence of C. trachomatis, M. genitalium, Ureaplasma parvum, and Ureaplasma urealyticum. After treatment, we evaluated 73 patients for clinical outcomes and 44 for microbiological outcomes. Symptoms were alleviated in 62 (84.9%) patients, who were judged clinically cured. Microorganisms detected before treatment were eradicated in 42 (95.5%) patients, who were judged microbiologically cured. Regarding microbiological outcomes of specific microorganisms, eradication rates of C. trachomatis ( n = 33), M. genitalium ( n = 11), and U. urealyticum ( n = 10) were 100%, 100%, and 80.0%, respectively. In all 5 patients with M. genitalium-positive persistent or recurrent NGU who had experienced treatment failures with antibiotics, the mycoplasma was eradicated. These results suggested that the sitafloxacin regimen used, which was effective on both M. genitalium and C. trachomatis infections, could be useful as an appropriate option as first- and second-line treatment of NGU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]