ROLE OF UREAPLASMA-UREALYTICUM AND CHLAMYDIA-TRACHOMATIS IN DEVELOPMENT OF BRONCHOPULMONARY DYSPLASIA IN VERY-LOW-BIRTH-WEIGHT INFANTS

Objective, To investigate the relationship between Ureaplasma urealyti cum and Chlamydia trachomatis colonization of the very low birth weigh t infant and the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), Meth ods. Endotracheal and/or nasopharyngeal aspirates and clinical data we re obtained prospectively from 108 infants with a birth weight of < 15 01 g and analyzed for U. urealyticum and C. trachomatis by culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Results, U, urealyticum was detected by culture in 40 (37%) infants and by PCR in 49 (45%) infants on at l east one occasion, BPD was present at 28 days in 26 of 40 (65%) U, ure alyticum culture-positive infants and 39 of 68 (57%) culture-negative infants (relative risk (RR) 1.13, 95% confidence interval 0.83 to 1.54 ; P = 0.538), BPD was present at 28 days in 34 of 49 (69%) U, urealyti cum PCR-positive infants and in 31 of 59 (53%) PCR-negative infants (R R 1.32, 95% confidence interval 0.97 to 1.79; P = 0.135), At 36 weeks postconceptional age culture-positive or PCR-positive infants were at no greater risk. of BPD than infants with negative results (RR = 1.02, P = 0.92 and RR = 1.2, P = 0.523, respectively), In addition the pres ence of U, urealyticum was not associated with any significant differe nce in the length of hospital stay, days of ventilation, days of oxyge n supplementation, birth weight or gestational age, C. trachomatis was detected in only 2 infants, Conclusion, C. trachomatis was found infr equently in the airways of premature very low birth weight infants, U, urealyticum was frequently detected but its presence was not signific ant with regard to development of BPD, duration of ventilatory support , oxygen dependency and length of hospital stay.