Isolation of Mycoplasma species from bronchoalveolar lavages of patients positive and negative for human immunodeficiency virus

The rates of isolation ofMycoplasma species from bronchoalveolar lavages of human immunodeficiency virus (H1V)-infected patients and HIV-negative patients were compared. Mycoplasma species were more frequently isolated from HIV-positive patients. In most cases, a known pulmonary pathogen was also identified. All samples tested negative for Mycoplasma fermentans by PCR. Mycoplasma species have been proposed as important co-factors in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Lo et al. (9, 11, 12) have documented the presence of Mycoplasma fermentans incognitus strain immunohistochemically and by PCR in the organs of several HIV-positive patients at the time of autopsy. Other investigators have demonstrated M. fermen-tans DNA by PCR in urine and blood samples from HIV-infected patients but not from HIV-negative controls (4, 5). In addition, Lo et al. (10) have detected a new Mvcoplasma species, Mycoplasma penetrans, serologically and from urine samples of a number of HIV-infected people. In vitro studie