The influence of genital mycoplasmas on human placental mast cells

Abstract


The aim of this study was to establish whether genital mycoplasmas could activate in vitro human placental mast cells to mediator release. We have used temperature-killed Mycoplasma hominis (7 strains), Ureaplasma urealyticum (12 strains) and, for comparison, 5 strains of normal vaginal flora (Lactobacillus fermentum, L.jenseni, L.acidophilus (2 strains), Bifidobacterium adolescentis) isolated from cervical canal of pregnant women. We have noticed that M.hominis- and U.urealyticum-induced histamine release from placental mast cells were very high (up to 41.2% and 50.2% respectively). At the same experimantal conditions the stimulation of placental mast cells with strains of normal vaginal flora resulted in insignificant histamine secretion (0.4% – 3.8%). The conclusions were that genital mycoplasmas present in reproductive tract can activated placental mast cells to mediator release. Thus it can be speculated that these strains of bacteria may influence the course of pregnancy via interaction with placental mast cells.

mast cells, placenta, genital mycoplasmas