Organ culture studies with Mycoplasma hominis

Abstract

Organ cultures have been a valuable aid in the study of the interaction of pathogenic microorganisms with differentiated cells in vitro. Most studies of Mycoplasma hominis in tracheal and fallopian tube organ cultures using conventional light microscopic techniques have been unable to detect any clear cytopathic effects. More recent work, using sophisticated methods to examine the epithelial surface of fallopian tubes in culture, have now revealed alterations in the morphology and function of the cilia after infection with at least some strains of M. hominis. These results should provide a stimulus for further research on the mechanisms and factors important in the pathogenicity of this organism.