Titers of Antibody to Mycoplasma in Sera of Patients Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

One hundred sixty-seven sera collected from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative blood donors (n = 41), asymptomatic HIV-positive patients (n = 75), and patients with AIDS (n = 51) were compared in a metabolism inhibition serological test employing antigens to four distinct Mycoplasma species. The proportion of sera with antibody titers of > or = 1:32 to Mycoplasma genitalium was significantly higher for patients with AIDS than for HIV-negative blood donors. Serological relationships between Mycoplasma pneumoniae and M. genitalium as well as the possibility of increased susceptibility of AIDS patients to infection with these two mycoplasmas might account for this finding. Few sera showed antibody responses to Mycoplasma pirum or Mycoplasma fermentans.