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Mycoplasma Fermentans A Trigger For Inflammatory Arthritis?Rheumatology Online 01/07/2002

Rheumatology 2001; 40: 1355-1358. "The prevalence of Mycoplasma fermentansin patients with inflammatory arthritides"Mycoplasma fermentans may be involved in the pathogenesis of some forms of inflammatory arthritis and that possibility should be further investigated. In this study, detection rates for Mycoplasma (M.) fermentans DNA were significantly greater in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and seronegative arthritis than in those with osteoarthritis or crystal synovitis. None of the latter patients were positive.These researchers sought evidence of involvement of M. fermentans in the pathogenesis of some forms of this disease by testing for the presence of mycoplasmal DNA in joint material. Study participants were 120 patients, 35 with RA and 85 with seronegative arthritis.Detection of M. fermentans DNA was by the identification of a 104-base pair amplification product of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). M. fermentans DNA was detected in synovial fluid samples from six (17 percent) of the 35 patients with RA and 18 (21 percent) of the 85 patients with seronegative arthritis.These detection rates were significantly greater than in samples from patients with osteoarthritis or crystal synovitis, none of 26 of these being positive. M. fermentans could therefore be involved in the pathogenesis of some forms of inflammatory arthritis, and this possibility is worthy of further study, these investigators conclude.C. B. Gilroy and colleagues from the Imperial College School of Medicine, St 's Campus, Paddington, London, and Northwick Park and St Mark's Hospitals, Harrow, Middlesex, both in England, did this examination of the prevalence of M. fermentans in patients with inflammatory arthritides. Dr Gilroy is now with the Department of Microbiology, Eastman Dental Institute, also in London.Visit the International Still's Disease Foundation Websitehttp://www.stillsdisease.org