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Fallopian tube obstruction as a sequela to Chlamydia trachomatis infection.

The association of tubal infertility and ectopic pregnancy with Chlamydia trachomatis infection was investigated using a case-control study design. Although culture methods failed to document active chlamydial infection in the majority of cases, serology revealed a significant association of Chlamydia trachomatis antibody with tubal infertility and ectopic pregnancy. Thirteen of 18 (72%) women with tubal factor infertility and 18 of 32 (56%) women with ectopic pregnancy had antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis as compared to 11 of 49 (22%) normal pregnant controls. Interestingly, only 7 of 18 (39%) infertile women and 5 of 36 (14%) women with ectopic pregnancy recalled a history of pelvic inflammatory disease. These results suggest that chlamydia-associated salpingitis, whether clinically evident or subclinical, is a major contributor to diseases of tubal dysfunction.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

Cervical cytology and Chlamydia trachomatis infection.

We found, as have others, a strong correlation between indirect immunofluorescence techniques and cell culture for the diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in material obtained from the cervix. Five epithelial cell types indicative of Chlamydia trachomatis infection (indicator cells) were found in smears in patients with positive immunofluorescence. An attempt to diagnose Chlamydia trachomatis infection in 50 routine smears based on the presence of these indicator cells showed false positives and false negatives so that the diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis still requires confirmation by immunofluorescence or culture techniques. The indicator cells frequently had the same morphometric features as cells seen with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, which may explain why some smears revert to normal after patients are given antibiotics.

Chlamydia Infections↗

Does chlamydia trachomatis influence manifestations of Lyme Arthritis?

Lyme arthritis, caused by the tick-borne spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, produces typically intermittent episodes of arthritis of the larger joints, usually the knee joints. A number of patients, however, develop arthritis more closely resembling Reiter's syndrome, i.e., heel and ankle involvement. We studied the clinical features of ten patients who developed arthritis after a tick bite and who had shown erythema migrans and related it to the presence of evidence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Along with typical signs of Lyme arthritis we observed heel and ankle involvement. Chlamydia trachomatis was found in smears in 4 cases, whereas no patient had antichlamydial antibodies. However, evidence of Chlamydia trachomatis did not correlate with signs considered typical of Reiter's syndrome. Therefore, Lyme arthritis may have some arthritic manifestations resembling Reiter's syndrome, but this seems unrelated to the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis. Moreover, the arthritis is not associated with HLA-B27.

Adult↗

Discordant prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis in asymptomatic couples screened using urine ligase chain reaction.

The following study was conducted to determine whether there would be an effect on the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis if both partners in a sexual relationship, rather than only one, underwent screening. First-void urine samples were collected from 1,690 asymptomatic women (mean age, 30 years; range, 15-70 years) and their male sex partners (mean age, 33 years; range, 16-71 years). The duration of sexual partnership for these subjects ranged from 2 months to more than 10 years.. At the time of testing, 687 of the women were pregnant. Ligase chain reaction testing revealed that 42 (2.5%) female and 63 (3.7%) male urine samples were positive. Detection rates for Chlamydia trachomatis differed for males and females, a difference that was found to be significant (P<0.0046, McNemar chi-square). Both partners tested positive in 27 (1.6%) couples, whereas at least one partner tested positive in 78 (4.6%) couples. Thus, screening males for Chlamydia trachomatis would have identified 63 (81%) of these 78 couples compared with only 42 (54%) couples had females been screened exclusively. In standard clinical practice, women most often undergo screening. The results of this study underscore the need to screen both males and females for Chlamydia trachomatis.

Adolescent↗

Low correlation of serology with detection of Chlamydia trachomatis by ligase chain reaction and antigen EIA.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of serology by using new assays for the detection of genus and species-specific IgG, IgM, IgA and secretory IgA antibody in female sex workers. Cervical swabs and first void urine (FVU) from 314 female sex workers were submitted to nucleic acid amplification by ligase chain reaction (LCx, Abbott). Concomittantly, blood samples were tested for the presence of IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies using a genus-specific assay (rELISA, Medac) and species-specific test (SeroCT, Orgenics). Chlamydia trachomatis infection was detected in a total of 30 (9.6%) female sex workers by LCR. With rELISA, seroprevalences for IgG, IgM, and IgA antibody to Chlamydia were 88.9%, 19.1% and 62.7%, respectively. IgG and IgA antibody prevalences against C. trachomatis (SeroCT) were 65.0% and 23.9%, respectively. In comparison to the positive LCR results obtained from cervical swab and/or FVU, the sensitivity of rELISA for Chlamydia IgG, IgA and IgM detection was 93.3%, 83.3% and 16.7%, respectively. With SeroCT, the sensitivity for C. trachomatis-specific IgG and IgA detection was 86.7% and 33.3%, respectively. The specificities of both serologic tests in comparison to LCR were very low. In conclusion, the correlation of serology with active C. trachomatis infection of the lower genital tract is very low. According to our results, serologic testing for Chlamydia can exclude active infection of the lower genital tract with a high reliability (> or = 95%). However, detection of C. trachomatis can only be reliably achieved by nucleic acid amplification assays.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗

Ultrastructural analysis of the growth cycle of Chlamydia trachomatis in mouse cells treated with recombinant human alpha-interferons.

The effect of two recombinant human hybrid interferons (IFNs), IFN-alpha AD (BglII) and IFN-alpha DA (BglII), on the growth cycle of Chlamydia trachomatis in a murine (McCoy) cell line was investigated. Ultrastructural analysis indicated that IFN-alpha AD inhibited the growth of chlamydia while IFN-alpha DA-treated cells did not significantly differ from the control monolayers. Treatment of the chlamydia-infected monolayers with IFN-alpha AD resulted in an inhibition in the transformation of elementary bodies to reticulate bodies with a consequent marked decrease in the number of chlamydia inclusions. Furthermore, chlamydial inclusions in the IFN-alpha AD-treated cells contained fewer and more immature chlamydial forms than the control or the IFN-alpha DA-treated cells. Secondary infection occurred in the IFN-alpha DA and in the control monolayer, but no such phenomena was detected in the IFN-alpha AD-treated McCoy cells indicating a loss of infectivity of the chlamydial organisms. From this study it can be concluded that purified recombinant human hybrid IFNs may exert an inhibitory effect on the growth cycle of C. trachomatis in a mouse cell line. This inhibition occurs primarily at the point of transformation from elementary to reticulate body.

Animals↗

Chlamydia trachomatis associated with chronic dysuria among patients with Schistosoma haematobium.

Eighty-seven Egyptians with Schistosoma haematobium infection (current or past) and chronic dysuria seen at the Theodor Bilharz Research Institute outpatient urology clinic in Imbaba, Cairo, Egypt were investigated for Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Direct fluorescent antibody tests (DFAT) showed 30 urethral swabs (35%) and 40 urine sediments (46%) were positive for Chlamydia. Indirect fluorescent antibody testing showed 29 (34%) serum samples and 25 (29%) urethral smears were positive for Chlamydia. There was a highly significant association between patients with active Schistosoma infection and those with urine and urethral specimens positive for Chlamydia by DFAT (P < 0.01).

Adolescent↗

Chlamydia trachomatis in chronic abacterial prostatitis: demonstration by colorimetric in situ hybridization.

Twenty-three transurethral resected prostate specimens with histologic evidence of chronic abacterial prostatitis were evaluated by colorimetric in situ hybridization for evidence of Chlamydia trachomatis. Intracellular chlamydia bodies were detected in seven of 23 cases (30.4%). In five of seven positive cases, chlamydia inclusion bodies were present within both epithelial cells and intraluminal histiocytes. In two of seven positive cases, extracellular chlamydia bodies were identified in conjunction with intraepithelial inclusions. In only one case were extraductal, extraacinar, intrahistiocytic inclusion bodies observed. Our study confirms previous reports implicating C trachomatis as an etiologic agent in chronic abacterial prostatitis, and underscores the applicability of DNA probes for the detection and identification of C trachomatis in routinely fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues.

Chlamydia Infections↗

The differentiation of Chlamydia species by antigen detection in sputum specimens from patients with community-acquired acute respiratory infections.

An amplified enzyme immunoassay (IDEIA III: Dako Diagnostics Ltd) for detecting genus-specific chlamydia antigen was evaluated prospectively on 286 respiratory specimens from 275 patients presenting with community-acquired pneumonia or persistent chest infection. Nineteen patients had evidence of recent chlamydial infection, having two or more positive sputum or serological markers. Sputa from two other patients were ELISA-positive in the absence of other positive criteria and were regarded as false-positive results. When compared with a direct immunofluorescence test for chlamydial elementary bodies (EBs) using a genus-specific monoclonal antibody, the ELISA gave a positive predictive value of 91% and a negative predictive value of 99%. Non-specific problems with a wide variety of other micro-organisms isolated from the sputa were not encountered. Attempts to differentiate between Chlamydia psittaci, Chlamydia pneumoniae and Chlamydia trachomatis using genus-specific lipopolysaccharide reactive--and species-specific major outer membrane protein--monoclonal antibodies were encouraging and results were substantiated, in most patients, by the species-specific serological assays of the whole-cell-inclusion immunofluorescence or micro-immunofluorescence assays. The study demonstrated that antigen detection techniques offer scope for routine laboratories to diagnose chlamydial respiratory infections rapidly and reliably and may enable differentiation to species level. Although immunofluorescence offers marginally greater sensitivity and specificity when compared with ELISA, the latter is less subjective and less demanding. Sixty-eight per cent of these infections would have remained undiagnosed despite the general availability of ELISA tests.

Adult↗

Immunological specificity of monoclonal antibodies to Chlamydia psittaci ovine abortion strain.

Fifty-one monoclonal antibodies were prepared by two different techniques against Chlamydia psittaci strain A22 isolated from an ovine abortion. These antibodies were tested for reactivity by the indirect immunofluorescent antibody technique with eleven reference Chlamydia strains (nine C. psittaci, one Chlamydia trachomatis and one Chlamydia pneumoniae). Four classes of specificity were recognized for monoclonal antibodies: genus, species, subspecies and type specificity. The type-specific monoclonal antibodies were non-reactive with ovine arthritis isolates. Twenty monoclonal antibodies were specific for two mammalian strains: ovine abortion A22 and K mouse. Some monoclonal antibodies were reactive with C. pneumoniae strains and non-reactive with C. trachomatis strains. All these monoclonal antibodies were very useful for improving the diagnosis of chlamydial infection, the antigenic analysis and the serotyping of C. psittaci.

Abortion, Veterinary↗

Asymptomatic Chlamydia trachomatis infections in teenage males.

This study examined the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infections of the urethra in asymptomatic teenage males in a juvenile detention setting. Gonorrhea cultures, chlamydia smears using the direct immunofluorescent antibody (DFA) technique, and 15-20 ml of a first-catch urine (FCU) sample were obtained. Of the 227 adolescent males screened, 205 had experienced sexual intercourse. Twenty-seven (13.2%) of the sexually active adolescents had positive DFA smears for C. trachomatis. Three (1.5%) had positive Neisseria gonorrhoeae cultures. A urine leukocyte count of greater than 10 per high-power field gave a 91% specificity but only a 26% sensitivity for a positive DFA. The high prevalence of chlamydia in this population and the relative low cost of the DFA screen for chlamydia make this a useful procedure for discovering unsuspected disease, particularly in a high-risk population. The FCU screen for leukocytes was of limited value in identifying asymptomatic infection.

Adolescent↗

Midpregnancy genitourinary tract infection with Chlamydia trachomatis: association with subsequent preterm delivery in women with bacterial vaginosis and Trichomonas vaginalis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to estimate whether midpregnancy genitourinary tract infection with Chlamydia trachomatis is associated with an increased risk of subsequent preterm delivery. STUDY DESIGN: Infection with C. trachomatis was determined using a ligase chain reaction assay (performed in batch after delivery) of voided urine samples collected at the randomization visit (16(0/7) to 23(6/7) weeks' gestation) and the follow-up visit (24(0/7) to 29(6/7) weeks) among 2470 gravide women with bacterial vaginosis or Trichomonas vaginalis infection enrolled in 2 multicenter randomized antibiotic treatment trials (metronidazole versus. placebo). RESULTS: The overall prevalence of genitourinary tract C. trachomatis infection at both visits was 10%. Preterm delivery less than 37 weeks' or less than 35 weeks' gestational age was not associated with the presence or absence of C. trachomatis infection at either the randomization (less than 37 weeks: 14% versus 13%, P=.58; less than 35 weeks: 6.4% versus 5.5%, P=.55) or the follow-up visit (less than 37 weeks: 13% versus 11%, P=.33; less than 35 weeks: 4.4% versus 3.7, P=.62). Treatment with an antibiotic effective against chlamydia infection was not associated with a statistically significant difference in preterm delivery. CONCLUSION: In this secondary analysis, midtrimester chlamydia infection was not associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. Treatment of chlamydia was not associated with a decreased frequency of preterm birth.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

In vitro activity of fluoroquinolones, azithromycin and doxycycline against chlamydia trachomatis cultured from men with chronic lower urinary tract symptoms.

INTRODUCTION: Little is known about chlamydia survival in the presence of fluoroquinolones in patients with chronic prostatitis syndrome (CPS). In vitro activities of four fluoroquinolones, azithromycin and doxycycline against C. trachomatis in patients with CPS being not treated with antibiotics earlier were investigated and compared. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Chlamydia survival in 304 patients with CPS being not treated with antibiotics earlier was analysed and compared. Infection by C. trachomatis was determined in the urethra and expressed prostatic secretion by cell culture test. RESULTS: Azithromycin and ofloxacin were found to be the most active antichlamydial agent with ciprofloxacin and doxycycline being least active. CONCLUSION: Ofloxacin can be recommended as the primary drug in the treatment of chlamydia-infected patients with CPS. The decision on the prescription of other fluoroquinolones should be made individually. The investigation of chlamydia survival in the presence of antibiotics in patients with CPS and C. trachomatis prior to treatment is recommended.

Adult↗

[Chlamydia trachomatis urogenital infections in women. Best diagnostic approaches].

Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacteria. Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD). The C. trachomatis damaging disease sequelae such as sterility is based on intense and chronic inflammation elicited and maintained by reinfection or persistent infection. The high prevalence of C. trachomatis infection reflects the long and successful adaptation of these organisms to persist in their human host population. The large group of asymptomatically infected persons is not only at risk of serious long-term sequelae but also sustains transmission within communities. C. trachomatis acute infections have been diagnosed by cell culture, direct immunofluorescence, enzyme immunoassay, direct DNA hybridization, and more recently by nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs). In chronic or persistent chlamydial infections, the level of Chlamydia is very low and bacteria are often not viable. Such infections would be characterized by continuing positive NAATs but only intermittent isolation of viable Chlamydia and positive assays for chlamydial protein antigen. The development of NAATs has been a major advance in the field of chlamydial diagnosis. The use of NAATs associated with serology test is the best diagnosis. The introduction of assays based on amplification of genetic material has subsequently increased the sensitivity of detecting chlamydial infections and offers the opportunity to use non-invasive sampling techniques to screen for infections in asymptomatic subjects. In this article, it was proposed the best diagnosis approaches for detection of acute and chronic infections.

Acute Disease↗

Clonal isolation of chlamydia-infected cells using flow cytometry.

This manuscript describes a new technique for the microbiological cloning of chlamydia-infected cells using a fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS). The approach exploits chlamydial acquisition of the fluorescent, Golgi-specific, stain 6-((N-7-(-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino)-hexanoyl)sphingosine (C6-NBD-cer). This fluorescent lipid is delivered from the Golgi apparatus to the chlamydial inclusion membrane and then to the developmental forms within the inclusion in living, infected cells. Labeling with C6-NBD-cer results in easily identifiable chlamydial inclusions that can then be analyzed and sorted by FACS. This technique was used successfully to sort individual chlamydia-infected cells into individual wells of a culture dish and, in this experimental system, resulted in the isolation of cloned chlamydial isolates. FACS-based sorting was used to isolate clonal populations of prototype strains from Chlamydia trachomatis, C. caviae and C. suis. Recent clinical isolates were also successfully cloned using FACS. The procedure is simple and rapid, with single cloning cycles being completed 24 h post-culture of a sample. It is anticipated that FACS-based sorting of live chlamydia-infected cells will be a significant technical tool for the isolation of clonal populations of any chlamydial strain.

4-Chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan↗

Vaccination of newborn mice induces a strong protective immune response against respiratory and genital challenges with Chlamydia trachomatis.

Chlamydia trachomatis infections can occur early in life and may result in long-term sequelae. To assess the feasibility of implementing a vaccine in newborns, groups of 2-day-old BALB/c mice were immunized intranasally (i.n.) with 1x10(4) inclusion forming units (IFU) of C. trachomatis mouse pneumonitis (MoPn). As a control, newborn mice were sham-immunized i.n. with minimal essential medium. In the vaccinated animals, strong Chlamydia-specific humoral and cell-mediated immune responses were observed. Six weeks after immunization, mice were challenged with MoPn i.n. or intravaginally (i.vag.). For the i.n. challenge, mice were inoculated with 10(4) or 10(5)IFU of MoPn per mouse, and in the case of the i.vag. challenge, each animal received 10(6)IFU. By day 10 post-infection (p.i.), the vaccinated mice challenged i.n. with 10(4)IFU, had gained an average of 6.7+/-1% of their body weight. In contrast, the sham-immunized mice had lost 14.9+/-1% of their weight (P<0.05). The mean number of IFU/lungs in the vaccinated animals was 800+/-300, while for the sham-immunized mice was 211+/-49x10(6) (P<0.05). Significant differences between the Chlamydia-vaccinated and the sham-immunized mice were also found in the groups challenged with 10(5)IFU. In the mice challenged i.vag., a significant decrease in the number of mice with positive cultures, and the intensity and duration of vaginal shedding was noted in the vaccinated mice compared to the sham-immunized mice (P<0.05). In conclusion, these results indicate that vaccination of neonatal mice can result in a protective response against a subsequent pulmonary or genital challenge with Chlamydia.

Animals↗

Correlation between chlamydia infection and clinical evaluation, vaginal wet smear, and cervical swab test in female adolescents.

Vaginal wet smear, endocervical swab test, gynecologic examination, and history were investigated in 148 healthy female adolescents. Cultures for Chlamydia trachomatis were obtained from all patients. The overall prevalence was 19/148 (13%). No significant correlation was found between chlamydia infection and any of the parameters investigated in the wet smear. Results of swab test or history showed no discrimination between young women with cultures positive for C. trachomatis and those with cultures negative for C. trachomatis. Chlamydia was found in 32% of patients when the gynecologic examination showed signs of infection and in 10% when no signs of infection were seen (p less than 0.025). Thirteen of the 19 (70%) adolescents with chlamydia infections had no signs of infection. We conclude that neither swab test, vaginal wet smear, nor the history of the patient can give conclusive evidence of a chlamydial infection. Detection of C. trachomatis in this population can be done only by culture or other specific methods.

Adolescent↗

Male genital mycoplasmas and Chlamydia trachomatis culture: its relationship with accessory gland function, sperm quality, and autoimmunity.

To study the effect of mycoplasmas and Chlamydia trachomatis infection on semen quality, these microorganisms were cultured from the semen and anterior urethra respectively, in a group of 175 infertile men suspected of a silent genital infection with a poor postcoital test. Chlamydia infection, but not mycoplasmas, was parodoxically more frequent in the apparently normal than oligotetratoasthenozoospermia patients. Mycoplasmas male infection, but not chlamydia, was more frequent in cases with female, mechanical, and/or organic infertility factors. Infection was unrelated to the accessory gland evaluation or sperm variables. However, seminal antisperm antibody activity was significantly increased in cases with any positive culture. By this local antibody increase, chlamydia and mycoplasmas may significantly reduce sperm egg penetration ability.

Chlamydia Infections↗