LINCOMYCIN,NON-GONOCOCCALURETHRITIS, AND MYCOPLASMATA*

Lincomycin isanantibiotic produced byStreptomyces lincolnensis (Mason, Dietz, andDeBoer, 1963), whichactsbyinhibiting protein synthesis inGram-positive bacteria (Josten andAllen, 1964). Itsmainindications areinfections causedby Gram-positive organisms though itsspectrum has notyetbeenfully determined. Inarecent report byMowat,Chalmers, Alexander, andDuthie (1967), lincomycin wasconsidered tobeeffective inthetreatment ofacaseofReiter's syndrome. Shipley, Bowman, andO'Connor (1968) foundthatmycoplasma T-strains wereresistant to 200I±g./ml. lincomycin. Williams, Csonka, and Corse(unpublished) also noted that T-strains were resistant tolincomycin invitro butthatMycoplasma hominis wassensitive to5jig./ml. oftheantibiotic; bothT-strains andM.hominis wereisolated from theurethra inpatients withnon-gonococcal urethritis (NGU). Thesereports andourownexperience ledusto investigate theclinical response ofnon-gonococcal urethritis (NGU)andReiter's syndrome tolincomycin anditseffect ongenital mycoplasma in vivo. Thepresent papergives theresults inNGU. Material andMethods 51malepatients withNGU whoattended theSpecial Clinics oftheCentral Middlesex Hospital andSt. Mary's Hospital werestudied. Theonlyelements of selection weretoexclude thosepatients least likely to attend forobservation andthose withminimal urethritis. N.gonorrhoeae andT.vaginalis wereexcluded by microscopical examination; urethral discharge was cultured onspecial mediumfortheisolation ofmycoplasma (Csonka, Williams, andCorse, 1967). Specimens formycoplasma weretakenbefore andafter treatment andsubsequently ifthedischarge persisted orrecurred. Thepatients received 500mg.lincomycin capsules fourtimesdaily for5daysandwereexamined 7days after thestart oftreatment andthenatweekly intervals foramonthandfortnightly forthenext2-months.