[Colonization of group B streptococcus in the semen of chronic prostatitis patients of childbearing age and its influence on perinatal outcomes].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the colonization of group B streptococcus (GBS) in the semen of chronic prostatitis patients of childbearing age and its influence on perinatal outcomes.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 592 cases of chronic prostatitis and another 472 non-prostatitis healthy males as controls. We collected semen samples from the subjects for bacterial and Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) culture and quantitative fluorescence PCR analysis of chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and GBS. According to the results of culture, we divided the patients into a GBS-positive and a GBS-negative group and compared the perinatal outcomes among different groups of subjects.

RESULTS

The rate of GBS colonization in the semen of the chronic prostatitis patients was 11.8% (70/592). Bacteria were detected in the semen of 54.4% of the patients (322/592), mainly including GBS (21.7% ［70/322］) and E coli (19.9% ［64/322］), and in 7.8% of the healthy controls (37/472), Staphylococcus aureus comprising 83.8% (31/37), with statistically significant difference in the rate of bacteria detection between the two groups (P < 0.01). The incidence rate of adverse perinatal outcomes in the cases of successful pregnancy was significantly higher in the GBS-positive (32.8% ［19/58］) than in the GBS-negative (22.0% ［29/132］) and the healthy control group (2.2% ［6/271］) (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of GBS colonization is significantly increased in the semen of chronic prostatitis patients of childbearing age, and so is the incidence of adverse perinatal outcomes in the spouses of GBS-positive males. Importance should be attached to normalized screening of GBS in chronic prostatitis patients and to standardized prevention and intervention as well.