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Frequency of ocular chlamydial infection among young adults
K D Smith1, A C Tokarewicz, B C Schieven
1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Western Ontario, London.
Abstract:
Young adults are at particular risk for Chlamydia trachomatis infection. To determine whether there is a high rate of asymptomatic ocular chlamydial infection in this population, 131 eyes from 72 patients aged 18 to 30 years with no symptoms of conjunctivitis were tested for C. trachomatis by means of McCoy cell culture and a direct enzyme immunoassay. In addition, 51 of the patients underwent serologic testing to detect systemic chlamydial disease. Ocular chlamydial infection was not found in any of the patients, including the 26 with a positive result of serologic testing. We conclude that routine screening of young adults for ocular chlamydial infection would be of no benefit in detecting systemic chlamydial infection and its sequelae.
Insights
Young adults do not benefit from routine screening for asymptomatic ocular chlamydia. Testing eyes for Chlamydia trachomatis infection in this age group yielded no positive results, even in those with systemic infection.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Young adults are a high-risk demographic for Chlamydia trachomatis.
- Ocular chlamydial infections can be asymptomatic, raising concerns about prevalence in specific populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the rate of asymptomatic ocular chlamydial infection in young adults (18-30 years).
- To evaluate the utility of ocular screening for detecting systemic Chlamydia trachomatis infection in this age group.
Main Methods:
- 131 eyes from 72 patients aged 18-30 without conjunctivitis symptoms were tested for C. trachomatis.
- McCoy cell culture and direct enzyme immunoassay were used for ocular testing.
- Serologic testing was performed on 51 patients to detect systemic chlamydial disease.
Main Results:
- No cases of ocular chlamydial infection were detected in any of the tested patients.
- This finding held true even for the 26 patients who showed positive results for systemic chlamydial infection.
Conclusions:
- Routine screening for ocular chlamydial infection in young adults is not beneficial for identifying systemic infections.
- Ocular screening does not aid in detecting the sequelae of systemic chlamydial infections in this population.