[Association between early miscarriage and Chlamydia trachomatis infection in Aguascalientes, Mexico]

Chlamydia trachomatis infection in women has been strongly associated with early membrane rupture and pre-term labor; however, the evidence linking Chlamydia trachomatis infection and early miscarriage is inconsistent.

To determine if there is an association between Chlamydia trachomatis infection and early abortion in a group of women from Aguascalientes, Mexico.

108 early abortion product samples were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction technique, along with 42 samples that belonged to 42 patients with a normal pregnancy, in order to determine the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis. The strength of association between early abortion and Chlamydia trachomatis infection was measured with odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). A value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Chlamydia trachomatis infection was positive in 39 of 150 patients (26%), in 37 of 108 women with early abortion (34%) and in two of 42 of women with uneventful control pregnancies (4.7%) (p = 0.002). We observed a positive association between the risk of early miscarriage and Chlamydia trachomatis infection (OR = 10.42, 95% CI, 2.39 45.54, p = 0.002).

We found a higher frequency of Chlamydia trachomatis infection than the one previously reported in our country, and a higher risk of early abortion for Chlamydia trachomatis infection (10.42) in pregnant women, which suggests the necessity of including the molecular study of this pathogen in women in prenatal control.