Human Intra-urethral Inoculation of Ureaplasmas

摘要

Ureaplasma urealyticum was isolated from two men suffering from non-specific urethritis and from whom no other micro-organisms were recovered. Their disease responded to tetracycline. The two ureaplasma strains were cloned and shown to belong to serotype 5 ofU. urealyticum. An inoculum containing 5×104colour-changing units of one strain was introduced intraurethrally into a subject (an author) who was free of ureaplasmas and other urethral micro-organisms. The ureaplasmas multiplied in the urethra and the subject soon experienced symptoms of dysuria. Furthermore, polymorphonuclear leucocytes were found in centrifuged aliquots of urine and a serum metabolism-inhibition antibody response of short duration was detected. Tetracycline given six days after inoculation brought about rapid clearance of organisms from the urine and a more gradual disappearance of symptoms and signs. Inoculation of ureaplasma-free medium about two months after the initial introduction of ureaplasmas did not elicit symptoms or signs. These observations showed that the ureaplasmas had produced urethritis. Organisms of the other ureaplasma strain were introduced in the same number and in the same way into a second subject (another author) who was also free of urethral micro-organisms. He experienced symptoms and signs similar to the first subject, ureaplasmas were consistently isolated from urine and a serum antibody response of at least three months duration was detected. However, the characteristic feature was the appearance of urinary threads composed of epithelial cells and polymorphonuclear leucocytes. Following tetracycline therapy instituted one month after inoculation, viable ureaplasmas were rapidly eliminated from the urogenital tract and, although most signs disappeared, urinary threads continued to appear. Inoculation of ureaplasma-free media over two months after the initial challenge elicited some symptoms and signs, but these were less than those which occurred after introduction of ureaplasmas. Analysis of seminal fractions during the course of the ureaplasma infection indicated that the prostate was infected. The possibility that the threads were of prostatic origin and the reason for their persistence are discussed