[Mycoplasmas and pregnancy. Preliminary study].

The prevalence of genital mycoplasmas was studied among 191 pregnant women followed up at Diaconesses Hospital, Paris. Ureaplasma urealyticum was recovered from 65% of patients, alone (54%) or in association with Mycoplasma hominis (11%). The relationship to pregnancy outcome, the effect of erythromycin treatment, the interest of biological markers of infection (mycoplasmal quantitation and serologic tests, C-reactive protein) and the role of other known genital pathogens were investigated. Vaginal infection with Ureaplasma urealyticum according to biological criteria (i.e. vaginal concentration greater than 10(3) CCU/ml or coisolation of Mycoplasma hominis) was significantly associated with an increased risk of: 1. premature rupture of the fetal membranes; 2. prematurity in cases of preterm labor. Erythromycin treatment was able to prevent only the risk of prematurity. On the other hand, we didn't show any influence of mycoplasmal colonization on birth weight, if expressed with regard to gestational age. An immune response to Ureaplasma urealyticum was demonstrated in 15% of patients; rare fourfold antibody rises were detected specially in the case of a second trimester spontaneous abortion and of an intrauterine death (both were untreated patients) and probably attest an infectious process. A randomized trial with a larger study sample must be undertaken to corroborate these preliminary data.