T Mycoplasmas on Spermatozoa and Infertility

Abstract

T MYCOPLASMAS have been associated with spontaneous abortions and stillbirths¹. In at least one case T mycoplasmas were the aetiological agents of amnionitis and spontaneous abortion². Recently we isolated T mycoplasmas in abundance from the ejaculates and the cervical secretions of a selected group of patients with unexplained infertility³. It has been suggested that the T mycoplasmas might play an important part in reproductive failure, as pregnancies were achieved in about 30% of the couples after eradication of the T mycoplasmas⁴. The possible underlying mechanism remained obscure although some data indicated that the T mycoplasmas were attached to sperm cells³. The work reported here was done to establish whether T mycoplasmas could be found attached to sperm cells of men with reproductive failure.