[Isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis in populations with different risks of infection]

The level of infection by Chlamydia trachomatis in patients attending different units of urogenital diseases was evaluated. One hundred and fifty four patients divided in four groups were studied. Fifty percent of C. trachomatis isolation was achieved in the high risk group A, composed by men attending to a sexual transmission disease service. Among men attending an urology unit (group B) isolation reached 20.7%. In group C composed by women from a general gynecological unit the rate of isolation was 13.3%; and in group D (men and women with infertility problems) the rate of isolation was 4.3%. These isolation values were achieved combining the primoinoculation of cell cultures with a posterior blind passage. The known risk factors such as the number of sexual partners, age and previous data of sexually transmitted diseases affected the percentages of C. trachomatis isolation from each group.