Deoxyribonucleic acid of Chlamydia trachomatis in fresh tissue from the Fallopian tubes of patients with ectopic pregnancy.

Objectives: The role of persistent chlamydial infection of the Fallopian tubes in ectopic pregnancy is still unresolved. Therefore, we examined tissue of the Fallopian tubes from patients with ectopic pregnancy for the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis. In addition, other markers of C. trachomatis infection implicated in the pathogenesis of tubal damage were studied including antibodies to heat shock protein 60 of chlamydial and human origin. Study design: Fresh frozen tubal tissue from 55 patients with ectopic pregnancy in a hospital setting were examined for the presence of C. trachomatis DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and blood sample were analysed for antibodies to C. trachomatis including heat shock protein 60 (hsp60). Results: Chlamydial DNA was not detected in any of the 55 tubal specimens using a commercial test, Cobas Amplicor, Roche, and an in-house real time PCR able to detect a few copies of the organism. Logistic regression showed that chlamydial IgG antibodies were more common in a subgroup of patients with previous PID than in controls (OR = 7.84, CI 1.78-34.6). Specific antibodies to hsp60 of chlamydial (OR = 7.00, CI 1.50-32.6) but not of human origin (OR = 2.13, CI 0.14-31.6) were associated with ectopic pregnancy in this group. Conclusions: No evidence of persistent infection of C. trachomatis in the fallopian tubes at the time of ectopic pregnancy was found in this study. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Mycoplasma genitalium in cervicitis and pelvic inflammatory disease among women at a gynecologic outpatient service.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to analyze the prevalence and clinical manifestations of Mycoplasma genitalium infection in a heterogeneous population of women. STUDY DESIGN: The study was designed as a cross-sectional case-control study. Women attending a gynecological outpatient service from 2003 through 2008 were invited to participate. RESULTS: The prevalence of M genitalium was 2.1% and of Chlamydia trachomatis was 2.8% among 5519 tested women. A total of 679 women were included. Both pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and cervicitis were independently associated with M genitalium (odds ratio, 9.00; 95% confidence interval, 1.62-49.89 and odds ratio, 3.80; 95% confidence interval, 2.06-7.03, respectively). Women with C trachomatis had a higher frequency of both PID (18.3% vs 4.9%, P < .001) and cervicitis (33.4% vs 22.3%, P < .001) than women with M genitalium. CONCLUSION: M genitalium was an independent and strong risk factor for both cervicitis and PID although, compared to C trachomatis, clinical manifestations were less frequent

The association between Mycoplasma genitalium and pelvic inflammatory disease after termination of pregnancy

The prevalence and complications of Mycoplasma genitalium and Chlamydia trachomatis infections among women undergoing termination of pregnancy were studied in this nested case-control study at Malmo University Hospital, Sweden, during 2003 to 2007. The study comprised 2079 women presenting for termination of pregnancy. Forty-nine women with M. genitalium infection and 51 women with C. trachomatis infection, together with 168 negative control women, were evaluated. The prevalences of M. genitalium and C. trachomatis were 2.5% and 2.8%, respectively. The M. genitalium was strongly associated with post-termination pelvic inflammatory disease (odds ratio 6.29, 95% CI 1.56-25.2). The increased risk for pelvic inflammatory disease associated with M. genitalium infection after termination of pregnancy suggests a causal relationship

Clinical Manifestations and Epidemiology of the New Genetic Variant of Chlamydia trachomatis.

BACKGROUND:: In 2006, a new genetic variant of Chlamydia trachomatis (nvCT) was discovered in Sweden. Clinical manifestations of this infection were studied in a high-risk population. METHODS:: During 2007, a prospective case-control study on sexual lifestyle and urogenital infections was performed at the Centre for Sexual Health (CSH), affiliated to Malmo University Hospital. A total of 629 C. trachomatis positive cases and 1252 negative controls were included. At Malmo University Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, all cases of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) were assessed and correlated to the prevalence of nvCT. RESULTS:: Patients with nvCT or wild type C. trachomatis (wtCT) infection did not differ regarding their sexual lifestyle. Men with nvCT or wtCT infection did not differ in uro-genital symptoms or clinical findings. Women with nvCT infection reported painful urination (12.2% vs. 25.8%, P = 0.02) and were diagnosed with urethritis (11.1% vs. 40.0%, P = 0.04) less often than women with wtCT infection. The ratio of lower abdominal pain in women with nvCT infection was only half of that in women with wtCT infection (13.4% vs. 27.8%, P = 0.02). PID was detected in 0.8% of women with C. trachomatis infection in Malmo. All these cases were due to wtCT infection. CONCLUSIONS:: Symptomatic urethral infection and lower abdominal pain was less common in women with nvCT as compared to wtCT. Infection with nvCT was more frequently asymptomatic suggesting a possible difference in virulence between the nvCT strain and the wtCT strain

Efficacy and safety of azithromycin versus lymecyline in the treatment of genital chlamydial infections in women

To compare the clinical and microbiological efficacy of azithromycin in curing chlamydial infections in women with that of lymecycline, and with a view of the possibility of minimizing the problem of compliance by means of single-dose administration, 146 women with culture-positive Chlamydia trachomatis infections were randomly assigned to treatment with a 1 g bolus dose of azithromycin or a 10-day course of lymecycline 300 mg twice daily. Clinical and microbiological evaluations were performed and adverse effects monitored at check-ups after 15-35 and 40-65 days. Of the 146 patients enrolled in the study, 120 were evaluable. At the second check-up, C. trachomatis was found to have been eradicated in all patients in both treatment groups. Of the 51 patients who had clinical signs and symptoms of genital infection at enrolment, 96% (22/23) of those in the azithromycin group were considered cured (n = 18) or improved (n = 4), as compared with 100% (28/28) of those considered cured (n = 22) or improved (n = 6) in the lymecycline group. Adverse events related, or possibly related, to treatment were reported by 16 (21.6%) of the lymecycline group, but by only 6 (8.3%) of the azithromycin group. The 2 drugs were comparable with regard to microbiological and clinical efficacy in the treatment of genital chlamydial infection in women. The markedly lower rate of side-effects associated with azithromycin may be a feature conducive to patient compliance