Mycoplasma penetrans and other mycoplasmas in urine of human immunodeficiency virus-positive children

Urine samples from children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infecti on and healthy controls were examined for mycoplasmas by culture. Standard biochemical assays, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophores is, and PCR (16S and 16S-23S spacer rRNA region) were used for identificati on of isolates. Mycoplasmas were identified from 13 (87%) of 15 HIV-positiv e patients and 3 (20%)! of 15 HIV-negative control patients. The frequency and type of mycoplasma varied with the severity of HIV infection. Mycoplasm a penetrans, Mycoplasma pirum, Mycoplasma fermentans, and,Mycoplasma genita lium were isolated from patients with severe immunodeficiency. :Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum were isolated more frequently from child ren in the early stages of HIV infection and from HIV-negative patients. My coplasma penetrans was isolated from one (50%) of two patients in Centers f or Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) group B and from five (55.5%) of ni ne pediatric patients with AIDS (CDC group C), This is the first report tha t indicates that "AIDS-associated" mycoplasmas are more common in HIV-infec ted children than in HIV-negative controls.