Israel Medical Association Journal

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of different pathogens in patients presenting to our sexually transmitted disease clinic with hematospermia.

Methods: Between January 1999 and January 2000, 16 patients presented to our STD[1] clinic with hematospermia after other non-infectious pathologies had been excluded by a referring physician. After obtaining informed consent, subjects completed a questionnaire addressing symptoms and sexual behavior. First void urine samples, as well as genitourinary and serum specimens were tested for Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma urealyticum and Herpes simplex virus. Standard bacterial cultures were also performed.

Results: Laboratory testing detected a pathogen in 12 of the 16 males presenting with hematospermia. The sexually transmitted pathogens detected were Herpes simplex virus in 5 patients (42%), Chlamydia trachomatis in 4 (33%), Enterococcus fecalis in 2 (17%), and Ureaplasma urealyticum in 1 (8%). In all cases in which a pathogen was identified, the appropriate antimicrobial agent was administered. Symptoms resolved for each patient following antimicrobial therapy. During a 1 year follow-up, all 12 patients remained free of disease.

Conclusions: Recent advances in microbiologic diagnostic techniques have facilitated the detection of pathogens in patients with hematospermia, thereby enhancing the efficacy of treatment.

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[1] STD = sexually transmitted disease

Background: Dysphagia is a common disorder among the elderly population. As many as 50% of nursing home residents suffer from dysphagia. It is important to identify patients at increased risk for colonization of dental and denture plaque by pathogenic organisms for prevention of associated disease.

Objectives: To quantify the prevalence and evaluate the effect of dental and denture plaque colonization by Candida albicans in hospitalized elderly dysphagic patients as a complication of stroke, as well as the effect of systemic antimicrobial therapy on C. albicans colonization in these patients.

Methods: We evaluated dysphagia and antibiotic therapy as risk factors for dental and denture plaque colonization by C. albicans in elderly stroke rehabilitating patients with dysphagia, as compared to elderly non-dysphagic stroke and non-stroke rehabilitating patients on days 0, 7 and 14 following admission to the Fliman Geriatric Rehabilitation Hospital.

Results: The risk of C. albicans colonization of dental plaque was greater in dysphagic patients than in those without dysphagia on day 0 (50% vs. 21%, P = 0.076), day 7 (58 vs. 15.2%, P = 0.008) and day 14 (58 vs. 15.2%, P = 0.08). Similarly, patients on antibiotic therapy were at greater risk for C. albicans colonization of dental plaque on day 0 (56 vs. 11%, P = 0.002), day 7 (44 vs. 14.8%, P = 0.04) and day 14 (39 vs. 19%, P = 0.18). The risk of C. albicans colonization of denture plaque as opposed to dental plaques in non-dysphagic patients was significantly greater on day 0 (45.7 vs. 21.2%, P = 0.03), day 7 (51.4 vs. 15.1%, P = 0.0016) and day 14 (54.3 vs. 15.1%, P = 0.0007). Dysphagia did not increase the risk of denture plaque colonization by C. albicans.

Conclusiona: Both dysphagia and antibiotic therapy are risk factors for C. albicans colonization of dental plaque, and although dysphagia does not significantly increase colonization of denture plaque, denture wearers are at greater risk of such colonization.

Background: Seroepidemeliogic surveys have provided valuable information on the prevalence and incidence of herpes simplex virus-2 infection in general and in selected populations.

Objective: To review the reliability of traditional diagnostic approaches in herpes simplex virus-2 infection.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 472 patients attending a clinic for sexually transmitted disease in 1998-1999 were evaluated for HSV-2 infection through collection of epidemiologic and clinical data.

HSV-2 infection was confirmed by the presence of specific Viral glycoprotein, gG-2, antibody in sera.

Results: The seroprevalence of HSV-2 among clinic attendees was 9.33%. Of these attendees only 22% presented with or reported a history of typical vesicular lesions in the genital area. Infection rate was  higher in patients with multiple sex partners (20.8% vs. 8.7%, P< ( 0.0023 in individuals aged 30 or older (12.6 vs. 6.4%, P = 0.03) and  in the Israeli Jewish population as compared to the Israeli Arab population (11.1% vs. 2.4%, P ~ 0.01). Females with multiple sex partners exhibited higher rates of infection than did their male counterparts (50 vs. 16.1%, P < 0.0275(.

Conclusion: The findings support the need for HSV-2 serologi  testing in patients presenting to STD clinics even when typical genital  lesions are not evident but where risk factors for HSV-2 infection are  identified.
 

Background: Non-gonococcal urethritis is the most common clinical diagnosis for men seeking care at sexually transmitted disease clinics.

Objective: To identify the pathogens involved in NGU[1] among males attending an Israeli STD clinic.

Methods: During 19 months spanning September 1996 to July 1998 we investigated a cohort of 238 male patients attending the Bnai Zion Medical Center STD[2] clinic with a clinical presentation of urethritis. Intraurethral swab specimens were tested for Neisseria gonorrhea, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis, and Trichomonas vaginalis by culture and for herpes simplex virus by antigen detection. First voiding urine for Chlamydia trachomatis was done by polymerase chain reaction. The specific seropositivities of HSV[3] types 1 and 2 were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: From among 238 males with dysuria or urethral discharge an etiology for urethritis was found for 71 (29.8%). N. gonorrhea was recovered in only three men (4.2%). In the remaining 68 NGU patients C. trachomatis (35/68, 51.5%) and U. urealyticum (31/68, 45.6%) were the most common infecting and co-infecting pathogens (P < 0.0001). M. hominis and T. vaginalis were found in 9/68 (13.2%), and 1 patient, respectively. HSV was recovered from the urethra in 7/68 males (10.3%) – 3 with HSV-1, 2 with HSV-2, and 2 were seronegative for HSV. None of these males had genital lesions. Although a single etiologic agent was identified in 45/68 infected men (66.2%), co-infection was common: 2 organisms in 15 (22%) and 3 organisms in 8 (11.8%).

Conclusion: C. trachomatis and U. urealyticum were the most common infecting and co-infecting pathogens in this cohort of men with NGU. Unrecognized genital HSV infections are common in males attending our STD clinic and symptomatic shedding of HSV occurs without genital lesions. Still, the microbial etiology in this group remains unclear in many patients despite careful microbiologic evaluation.