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Chlamydia trachomatis: methods of identification and impact on semen quality

Mohamed A El Feky1, Ehsan Abdel Sabour Hassan, Azza M Ezz El Din

  • 1Department of Medical Microbiology Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.

The Egyptian Journal of Immunology
|August 24, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Chlamydia trachomatis infection is common in infertile men with leukocytospermia. Diagnostic methods like ELISA, PCR, and flow cytometry detected the infection, but its direct impact on semen quality requires further study.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Urology

Background:

  • Chlamydia trachomatis is a common sexually transmitted infection.
  • The link between chlamydial infection, male accessory gland pathology, and male infertility remains unclear.
  • Leukocytospermia, indicated by elevated pus cells in semen, is associated with impaired male fertility.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in infertile men with leukocytospermia.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of different diagnostic techniques for detecting C. trachomatis in semen.
  • To assess the relationship between C. trachomatis infection and semen quality in infertile men.

Main Methods:

  • Study included 75 infertile men with leukocytospermia and 25 fertile controls.
  • Diagnostic techniques included ELISA for secretory IgA antibodies, PCR for plasmid DNA, and flow cytometry for elementary bodies.
  • Routine semen analysis and LeucoScreen tests were performed on all participants.

Main Results:

  • Sperm concentration and motility were significantly lower in infertile patients compared to controls.
  • ELISA detected C. trachomatis IgA in 26.7% of patients, PCR in 30.7%, and flow cytometry in 46.6%.
  • No significant changes in routine semen parameters were directly attributable to C. trachomatis infection.

Conclusions:

  • ELISA for IgA antibodies in seminal plasma is a specific diagnostic method for C. trachomatis, comparable to PCR.
  • Flow cytometry demonstrated a high detection rate for C. trachomatis in semen samples.
  • Further research is recommended to investigate the impact of C. trachomatis on sperm viability and DNA integrity.

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