To search for evidence that Mycoplasma fermentans is involved in the pathogenesis of some forms of human arthritis by testing for the presence of mycoplasmal DNA in joint material.
M. fermentans DNA was detected 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%) of 35 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 18 (21%) of 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 be involved in the pathogenesis of some forms of inflammatory arthritis and this possibility is worthy of further study.