HIV infection and Mycoplasma co-infection: case-control study in a female population of Douala (Cameroon)

Abstract

Objective: To determine the impact of Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV) on co-infection with Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum in HIV-infected women. Methodology: A case-control analytical study based on standardized questionnaire interview and cervical sample collection after informed consent obtained among HIV-positive and HIV-negative women from January 2nd, 2017 to June 30th, 2017 received at the laboratory of Laquintinie Hospital in Douala. Samples collected were used for mycoplasma research, quantification, and antibiogram using the mycoplasma IES kits. Socio-demographic, clinical and biological variables of interest were entered and analyzed on Microsoft Office Excel 2013 and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SSPS) software version 20 and the chi-square correlation test was used with significance at the threshold of P <5%. Results: We analysed 136 samples of women aged 18-65years, among which 96 HIV+(cases) matched with 40 HIV-(controls). The mean age of the case group was 39.08±10.22 years and that of the control group was 33.28±8.68 years. Genital mycoplasmas were found in 58.3% of cases, with a high frequency for U. urealyticum (19.8%) against 2.1% for M. hominis and the two germs were associated in 32.3% of cases. In the control group, the carrier rate was 62.5%, with a frequency of 17.5% for Ureaplasma alone and no carrier for M. hominis alone. Co-infection with the two germs in this group was 40%. The majority of HIV+women had a CD4 count above 200, and no significant association was found between CD4 count and the presence of mycoplasma in these women (P=0.094). Conclusion: Mycoplasma infection is common in HIV+ women. However, there is no significant association between the CD4 count and the presence of these mycoplasmas.