NEW PROSPECTIVE STUDIES OF THE ASSOCIATION OF UREAPLASMA-UREALYTICUM COLONIZATION AND CHRONIC LUNG-DISEASE

This study examined the association between Ureaplasma urealyticum col onization and the development of chronic lung disease (CLD) in 93 prem ature infants who were treated with surfactant and who had birth weigh ts <1251 g. Nasopharyngeal and tracheal cultures for U. urealyticum we re obtained at 2 +/- 1 and at 14 +/- 1 days after birth and were posit ive in 17 (18%) of 93 patients. Infants born vaginally were 4.5 times more likely to be colonized than were those born by cesarean section. Colonization with U. urealyticum was associated with 1.66 (95% confide nce interval, 1.24-2.20, P = .024) times the risk of developing CLD an d with a greater incidence of greater-than-or-equal-to 2+ polymorphonu clear leukocytes in the tracheal aspirate at 2 +/- 1 days of age compa red with uncolonized infants (P = .025). We conclude that U. urealytic um colonization is associated with CLD even after surfactant treatment . The presence of U. urealyticum is also associated with inflammatory cells in the tracheal aspirate.