Diagnostics (Jul 2022)

Molecular Epidemiology of Genital Infections in Campania Region: A Retrospective Study

  • Elena Scaglione,
  • Giuseppe Mantova,
  • Valeria Caturano,
  • Luca Fanasca,
  • Francesca Carraturo,
  • Fabrizio Farina,
  • Caterina Pagliarulo,
  • Mariateresa Vitiello,
  • Chiara Pagliuca,
  • Paola Salvatore,
  • Roberta Colicchio

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12081798
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 8
p. 1798

Abstract

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This study provides updated information on the prevalence and co-infections caused by genital microorganisms and pathogens: Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma parvum, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Gardnerella vaginalis, by retrospectively analyzing a cohort of patients living in the Naples metropolitan area, Campania region, Southern Italy. To investigate the genital infections prevalence in clinical specimens (vaginal/endocervical swabs and urines) collected from infertile asymptomatic women and men from November 2018 to December 2020, we used a multiplex real-time PCR assay. Of the 717 specimens collected, 302 (42.1%) resulted positive for at least one of the targets named above. Statistically significant differences in genital prevalence of selected microorganisms were detected in both women (62.91%) and men (37.08%). G. vaginalis and U. parvum represented the most common findings with an 80.2% and 16.9% prevalence in vaginal/endocervical swabs and first-voided urines, respectively. Prevalence of multiple infections was 18.18% and 8.19% in women and men, respectively. The most frequent association detected was the co-infection of G. vaginalis and U. parvum with 60% prevalence. Our epidemiological analysis suggests different infection patterns between genders, highlighting the need to implement a preventative screening strategy of genital infections to reduce the complications on reproductive organs.

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