Chlamydial infection in a family

In a family comprising parents and two daughters, Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) was observed to be the infective agent causing urethritis in the father and conjunctivitis in the newborn. CT was probably a trigger factor in Reiter's syndrome (RS) in the mother, who suffered from arthritis, microscopic pyuria and hematuria, cervicitis and ocular manifestations. The elder daughter's mucocutaneous manifestations, probably keratodermia blennorrhagica, broke out simultaneously with chlamydial infections in the other members of the family. Later she developed joint pains, conjunctivitis and vulvitis. The elder daughter and the father are HLA-B27 negative, whereas the mother is HLA-B27 positive. With this study we would like to emphasize the importance of observing the microbial environment in the family in the etiology of rheumatic disease. Simultaneous treatment of infections in family members might benefit the clinical course of rheumatic disease.