Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in women with cervical lesions

The study objective was to evaluate the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) infection in women with and without pathological lesions in the uterine cervix.

A total of 120 patients, aged 15-57 (mean age 29), recruited for the study, were referred by gynaecological clinics in the Podlasie province. Gynaecological examinations confirmed cervicitis accompanied by erosions in 75 patients (group I) and cervicitis alone in 45 women (group II). The comparative group (control) consisted of 35 women, aged 16-48 years (mean age 29), who had no clinical symptoms or pathological lesions in the cervix. Direct immunofluorescence tests (MicroTrack, Syva) or polymerase chain reaction assays (PCR, Roche) were used to detect C. trachomatis infection in cervical samples. Antichlamydial IgG antibodies in the serum were determined using an immunoenzymatic assay (C. trachomatis IgG, EIA medac). Two-frequencies test was used for the statistical analysis of results. P values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant.

In the direct tests, C. trachomatis infection was found in group I in 9/75 women (12.2%), in group II in 9/45 (20%) and in the comparative group in 1/35 (2.9%) (group I vs control p > 0.1252; group II vs control p < 0.025). IgG specific antibodies were detected in group I in 17/49 patients (34.7%), in group 11 in 5/18 (27.8%) and in the comparative group in 2/35 (5.7%) women (group I vs control p < 0.0022; group II vs control p < 0.0319).

Our results show a higher prevalence of C. trachomatis infection in female patients with cervical lesions as compared to unaffected women, thus suggesting that diagnostic tests for C. trachomatis infection should be included in the screening programs for women.