Background: Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum bring with them an increased risk of pregnancy complications, such as premature membrane rupture, vaginitis and preterm birth.
Objectives: The present investigation was carried out to study the prevalence of M. hominis and U. urealyticum in pregnant women and to study their resistance against commonly used antibiotics.
Materials and methods: Three hundred and fifty high vaginal swabs were taken from pregnant women. Commercial Mycoplasma IST-2 kit was used for bacterial isolation. The results of the kits were confirmed using the PCR. The pattern of antibiotic resistance was determined using the disk diffusion method.
Results: Of 350 samples collected, 32 samples (9.14%) were positive for U. urealyticum and 10 samples (2.85%) were positive for M. hominis (P = 0.025). Both U. urealyticum and M. hominis were simultaneously detected in 1.14% of samples. In addition, 40 - 45-year-old pregnant women had the highest levels of U. urealyticum (27.5%), M. hominis (12.5%), and both bacteria (7.5%). U. urealyticum and M. hominis isolates harbored the highest levels of resistance against ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, erythromycin, and tetracycline. Both isolates were susceptible to pefloxacin, clarithromycin, josamycin, and pristinamycin.
Conclusions: According to the direct correlation between the increase in the prevalence rate of genital mycoplasmas and increased age of pregnancy, initially, it is better to prevent pregnancy at older ages, and then, should a pregnancy occur, the highest levels of health cares should be provided to older pregnant women.
Keywords: Antibiotic Resistance; Iran; Mycoplasma hominis; Pregnant Women; Ureaplasma urealyticum.