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BACKGROUND: Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an outcome measure for the evaluation of chlamydia screening programs. We explore PID diagnoses in specialist sexual health services (SSHSs) in England to inform the evaluation of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme, which was implemented nationally in 2008. METHODS: We conducted descriptive analyses using data on diagnoses of PID-with and without Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and/or Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC)-by age and year of birth, in SSHSs between 2009 and 2019 from the GUMCAD STI Surveillance System database. Rates were calculated per 100 000 females residing in England. RESULTS: CT screening activity peaked in 2010. The rates of all PID diagnoses decreased between 2009 and 2019 by 39%. CT-associated PID (CT-PID) declined by 58%, and nonspecific PID declined by 37%. GC-PID increased by 34%. CT-PID decreased across all age groups with the highest observed decline, 71%, in 15- to 19-year-olds. A dose-response relationship was observed between CT-PID rates and screening, with rates lowest in those with the greatest exposure to screening. CONCLUSIONS: There was a marked decline in diagnoses of CT-PID, and nonspecific PID, at SSHSs after the introduction of widespread chlamydia screening, whereas GC-PID diagnoses increased. This ecological trend was broadly consistent with what we would have expected to see if widespread screening reduced the incidence of chlamydia-associated PID (and of nonspecific PID), as has been observed in randomized controlled trials of screening.
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Infecções por Chlamydia/diagnóstico , Programas de Rastreamento/estatística & dados numéricos , Doença Inflamatória Pélvica/diagnóstico , Infecções por Chlamydia/epidemiologia , Chlamydia trachomatis , Inglaterra/epidemiologia , Feminino , Serviços de Saúde , Humanos , Doença Inflamatória Pélvica/epidemiologia , Vigilância da População , Serviços de Saúde ReprodutivaRESUMO
Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) causes pelvic inflammatory disease, which may result in tubal factor infertility (TFI) in women. Serologic assays may be used to determine the proportion of women with and without TFI who have had previous CT infection and to generate estimates of infertility attributable to chlamydia. Unfortunately, most existing CT serologic assays are challenged by low sensitivity and, sometimes, specificity for prior CT infection; however, they are currently the only available tests available to detect prior CT infection. Modeling methods such as finite mixture modeling may be a useful adjunct to quantitative serologic data to obtain better estimates of CT-related infertility. In this article, we review CT serological assays, including the use of antigens preferentially expressed during upper genital tract infection, and suggest future research directions. These methodologic improvements, coupled with creation of new biomarkers for previous CT infection, should improve our understanding of chlamydia's contribution to female infertility.
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Anticorpos Antibacterianos/imunologia , Infecções por Chlamydia/complicações , Chlamydia trachomatis/imunologia , Infertilidade Feminina/etiologia , Doença Inflamatória Pélvica/complicações , Anticorpos Antibacterianos/sangue , Biomarcadores , Chlamydia trachomatis/isolamento & purificação , Feminino , Humanos , Infertilidade Feminina/sangue , Infertilidade Feminina/microbiologia , Doença Inflamatória Pélvica/microbiologia , SorologiaRESUMO
Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection worldwide, has been widely researched for its involvement in many disease pathologies in the reproductive tract, including pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and tubal factor infertility. Recent findings, through the efforts to understand the pathogenesis of CT, suggest that CT can induce the process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through epigenetic changes in the epithelium of the female reproductive tract. This literature review aims to analyze the evidence for CT's ability to promote EMT and to pinpoint the areas that merit further investigation.
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Infecções por Chlamydia/diagnóstico , Chlamydia trachomatis/genética , Efeitos Psicossociais da Doença , Transição Epitelial-Mesenquimal , Doença Inflamatória Pélvica , Infecções do Sistema Genital , Chlamydia trachomatis/isolamento & purificação , Epigênese Genética , Feminino , Humanos , Infertilidade , Neoplasias Ovarianas , Doença Inflamatória Pélvica/diagnóstico , Gravidez , Gravidez Ectópica , Neoplasias do Colo do ÚteroRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Due to rising numbers of STI diagnosis and increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance, we explored trends in STI testing frequency and diagnoses, alongside sexual decision making and attitudes concerning condom use and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) at a large urban UK sexual health clinic. METHODS: We examined 66 528 electronic patient records covering 40 321 attendees between 2016 and 2019, 3977 of whom were men who have sex with men or trans persons who have sex with men (MSM/TPSM). We also explored responses from MSM/TPSM attendees sent an electronic questionnaire between November 2018 and 2019 (n=1975) examining behaviours/attitudes towards PrEP. We measured trends in STI diagnoses and sexual behaviours including condomless anal intercourse (CAI), using linear and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Tests resulting in gonorrhoea, chlamydia or syphilis diagnoses increased among MSM/TPSM from 13.5% to 18.5% between 2016 and 2019 (p<0.001). The average MSM/TPSM STI testing frequency increased from 1.5/person/year to 2.1/person/year (p=0.017). Gay MSM/TPSM had the highest proportions of attendances resulting in diagnoses, increasing from 15.1% to 19.6% between 2016 and 2019 (p<0.001) compared with bisexual/other MSM/TPSM increasing from 6.9% to 14.5% (p<0.001), alongside smaller but significant increases in non-MSM/TPSM from 5.9% to 7.7% (p<0.001).The proportion of MSM/TPSM clinic attendees reporting CAI in the previous 3 months prior to at least one appointment in a given year increased significantly from 40.6% to 45.5% between 2016 and 2019 (p<0.0001) and average number of partners from 3.8 to 4.5 (p=0.002). Of 617 eligible questionnaire responses, 339/578 (58.7%) HIV-negative and 29/39 (74.4%) HIV-positive MSM/TPSM indicated they would be more likely to have CAI with someone on PrEP versus not on PrEP. 358/578 (61.9%) HIV-negative respondents said that PrEP use would make them more likely to have CAI with HIV-negative partners. CONCLUSION: Rising numbers of STI diagnoses among MSM/TPSM are not attributable to increased testing alone. Increased CAI and number of partners may be attributable to evolving sexual decision making among PrEP users and their partners. Proportionally, bisexual/other MSM/TPSM have the steepest increase in STI diagnoses.
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Técnicas de Laboratório Clínico/tendências , Homossexualidade Masculina/estatística & dados numéricos , Profilaxia Pré-Exposição , Comportamento Sexual/estatística & dados numéricos , Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis/diagnóstico , Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis/microbiologia , Pessoas Transgênero/estatística & dados numéricos , Adulto , Atitude Frente a Saúde , Infecções por Chlamydia/diagnóstico , Infecções por Chlamydia/prevenção & controle , Técnicas de Laboratório Clínico/estatística & dados numéricos , Gonorreia/diagnóstico , Gonorreia/prevenção & controle , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Sexo Seguro/estatística & dados numéricos , Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis/prevenção & controle , Inquéritos e Questionários , Sífilis/diagnóstico , Sífilis/prevenção & controle , Sexo sem Proteção/estatística & dados numéricos , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Chlamydia trachomatis causes pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and tubal infertility. Plasmid gene protein 3 antibody (Pgp3Ab) detects prior chlamydial infections. We evaluated for an association of high chlamydial seropositivity with sequelae using a Pgp3Ab multiplex bead array (Pgp3AbMBA). METHODS: We performed chlamydia Pgp3AbMBA on sera from women 18-39 years old participating in the 2013-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with urine chlamydia nucleic acid amplification test results. High chlamydial seropositivity was defined as a median fluorescence intensity (MFIâ ≥â 50 000; low-positive was MFIâ >â 551-<50 000. Weighted US population high-positive, low-positive, and negative Pgp3Ab chlamydia seroprevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were compared for women with chlamydial infection, self-reported PID, and infertility. RESULTS: Of 2339 women aged 18-39 years, 1725 (73.7%) had sera, and 1425 were sexually experienced. Overall, 104 women had high positive Pgp3Ab (5.4% [95% CI 4.0-7.0] of US women); 407 had lowpositive Pgp3Ab (25.1% [95% CI 21.5-29.0]), and 914 had negative Pgp3Ab (69.5% [95% CI 65.5-73.4]). Among women with high Pgp3Ab, infertility prevalence was 2.0 (95% CI 1.1-3.7) times higher than among Pgp3Ab-negative women (19.6% [95% CI 10.5-31.7] versus 9.9% [95% CI 7.7-12.4]). For women with low Pgp3Ab, PID prevalence was 7.9% (95% CI 4.6-12.6) compared to 2.3% (95% CI 1.4-3.6) in negative Pgp3Ab. CONCLUSIONS: High chlamydial Pgp3Ab seropositivity was associated with infertility although small sample size limited evaluation of an association of high seropositivity with PID. In infertile women, Pgp3Ab may be a marker of prior chlamydial infection.
Assuntos
Infecções por Chlamydia , Infertilidade Feminina , Doença Inflamatória Pélvica , Adolescente , Adulto , Infecções por Chlamydia/complicações , Infecções por Chlamydia/epidemiologia , Chlamydia trachomatis , Feminino , Humanos , Infertilidade Feminina/epidemiologia , Inquéritos Nutricionais , Doença Inflamatória Pélvica/epidemiologia , Plasmídeos , Estudos Soroepidemiológicos , Estados Unidos/epidemiologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) causes a sexually transmitted infection (STI) with a rising rate of antimicrobial resistance. Currently, guidelines do not recommend screening asymptomatic men who have sex with men (MSM). We developed a mathematical model of MG transmission to examine the impact of various screening strategies on the incidence and prevalence of MG among MSM attending a sexual health clinic. METHODS: A compartmental mathematical model of MG transmission among MSM was constructed and calibrated using data from the Melbourne Sexual Health center, where resistance-guided therapy provides high treatment effectiveness (92-95%). The model stratified men by symptom status, sexual risk behaviours and whether or not they had MG with macrolide resistance. We simulated the impact on endemic steady-state MG prevalence and incidence of the following screening scenarios, namely screening: 1) no MSM; 2) only symptomatic MSM (the current recommendation); 3) all symptomatic and high-risk asymptomatic MSM; and 4) all MSM. Our base case analysis assumed a treatment effectiveness of 92-95% using resistance-guided therapy. We also examined the impact of treatment effectiveness (i.e. the proportion of detected MG that were cured) and screening coverage (i.e. testing rate) on MG prevalence. FINDINGS: The model predicts that the overall endemic MG prevalence is 9.1% (95% CI: 7.9-10.0) in the current situation where screening is only offered to symptomatic MSM (base-case). This would increase to 11·4% (95% confidence intervals (CI): 10.2-13.7) if no MSM are offered screening, but would decrease to 7.3% (95% CI: 5.7-8.4) if all symptomatic and high-risk asymptomatic MSM were offered screening and 6.4% (95% CI: 4.7-7·7) if all MSM were offered screening. Increasing coverage of MSM screening strategies shows a similar effect on decreasing endemic MG incidence. When evaluating the simultaneous impact of treatment effectiveness and screening coverage, we found that offering screening to more MSM may reduce the overall prevalence but leads to a higher proportion of macrolide-resistant MG, particularly when using treatment regimens with lower effectiveness. INTERPRETATION: Based on the available treatment options, offering screening for MG to other MSM (beyond the currently recommended group of symptomatic MSM) could slightly reduce the prevalence and incidence of MG. However, further increasing screening coverage must be weighed against the impact of lower treatment effectiveness (i.e. when not using resistance-guided therapy), increasing the selection of macrolide resistance, and other negative consequences related to AMR and management (e.g. unnecessary psychological morbidity from infections that do not need treatment).
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BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has helped reduce new HIV infections. However, bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have increased among PrEP users. We examined PrEP knowledge, access, and risk perceptions in an age of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). METHODS: An online anonymous survey was distributed to all cisgender men/transpersons who have sex with men attending a sexual health clinic in Bristol, United Kingdom (October 2018 to November 2019). Interviews with a sample identified at increased risk of HIV were analyzed thematically and integrated with survey data. RESULTS: Five hundred and seventy-eight (95%) of 617 cisgender men/transpersons who have sex with men survey respondents were HIV-negative/unknown, of these, 202 (34.9%) had ever used PrEP. Interviewees (n = 24) reported widespread awareness of and enthusiasm for PrEP. Among nonusers, 39% (146/376) were unaware how to access PrEP, and 27% (103/376) could not access PrEP through the national "impact" trial of whom 79% (81/103) were eligible. The PrEP was described as "life-changing," but expense was the main barrier to use. Sixty-two percent (358/578) of HIV-negative/unknown respondents on PrEP were more likely to have condomless anal intercourse with someone they thought was HIV-negative. Interviewees used PrEP with other risk-reduction strategies. Sexually transmitted infections were seen as "curable" and AMR rarely influenced risk perception or sexual decision making. CONCLUSIONS: The PrEP awareness was high, but purchase cost limited access. PrEP may increase condomless anal intercourse, but interviewees used PrEP as one of many risk-reduction tools. Reduced fear of HIV transmission and testing was highly valued. Sexually transmitted infection AMR was not seen as an immediate threat and did not influence risk perception or sexual decision making.
Assuntos
Infecções por HIV , Profilaxia Pré-Exposição , Saúde Sexual , Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis , Antibacterianos , Farmacorresistência Bacteriana , HIV , Infecções por HIV/prevenção & controle , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Homossexualidade Masculina , Humanos , Masculino , Percepção , Comportamento Sexual , Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis/epidemiologia , Infecções Sexualmente Transmissíveis/prevenção & controleAssuntos
Chlamydia trachomatis/isolamento & purificação , Técnicas de Diagnóstico Molecular/métodos , Neisseria gonorrhoeae/isolamento & purificação , Técnicas de Amplificação de Ácido Nucleico/métodos , Infecções do Sistema Genital/diagnóstico , Infecções do Sistema Genital/microbiologia , Trichomonas vaginalis/isolamento & purificação , Humanos , Uso Excessivo dos Serviços de Saúde , Valor Preditivo dos Testes , Sensibilidade e EspecificidadeRESUMO
Serological assays can be used to investigate the population burden of infection and potentially sequelae from Chlamydia. We investigated the PGP3 ELISA as a sero-epidemiological tool for infection or sub-fertility in Australian and Samoan women. The PGP3 ELISA absorbance levels were compared between groups of women with infertility, fertile, and current chlamydial infections. In the Australian groups, women with chlamydial tubal factor infertility had significantly higher absorbance levels in the PGP3 ELISA compared to fertile women (P < 0.0001), but not when compared to women with current chlamydial infection (P = 0.44). In the Samoan study, where the prevalence of chlamydial infections is much higher there were significant differences in the PGP3 ELISA absorbance levels between chlamydial sub-fertile women and fertile women (P = 0.003). There was no difference between chlamydial sub-fertile women and women with a current infection (P = 0.829). The results support that the PGP3 assay is effective for sero-epidemiological analysis of burden of infection, but not for evaluation of chlamydial pathological sequelae such as infertility.
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Antígenos de Bactérias/imunologia , Proteínas de Bactérias/imunologia , Infecções por Chlamydia/diagnóstico , Chlamydia/imunologia , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática/métodos , Monitoramento Epidemiológico , Testes Sorológicos/métodos , Adolescente , Adulto , Austrália/epidemiologia , Infecções por Chlamydia/epidemiologia , Feminino , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Samoa/epidemiologia , Estudos Soroepidemiológicos , Adulto JovemRESUMO
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208652.].
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Rates of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to rise, demanding treatments to be highly effective. However, curing infections faces significant challenges due to antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Mycoplasma genitalium and especially treating STIs at extragenital sites, particularly rectal chlamydia and oropharyngeal gonorrhoea. As no new antimicrobials are entering the market, clinicians must optimize the currently available treatments, but robust data are lacking on how the properties or pharmacokinetics of antimicrobials can be used to inform STI treatment regimens to improve treatment outcomes. This paper provides a detailed overview of the published pharmacokinetics of antimicrobials used to treat STIs and how factors related to the drug (tissue distribution, protein binding and t½), human (pH, inflammation, site of infection, drug side effects and sexual practices) and organism (organism load and antimicrobial resistance) can affect treatment outcomes. As azithromycin is commonly used to treat chlamydia, gonorrhoea and M. genitalium infections, and its pharmacokinetics are well studied, it is the main focus of this review. Suggestions are also provided on possible dosing regimens when using extended and/or higher doses of azithromycin, which appropriately balance efficacy and side effects. The paper also emphasizes the limitations of currently published pharmacokinetic studies including oropharyngeal gonococcal infections, where very limited data exist around ceftriaxone pharmacokinetics and its use in combination with azithromycin. In future, the different anatomical sites of infections may require alternative therapeutic approaches.
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Antibacterianos/farmacocinética , Antibacterianos/uso terapêutico , Azitromicina/farmacocinética , Azitromicina/uso terapêutico , Doenças Bacterianas Sexualmente Transmissíveis/tratamento farmacológico , Doenças Bacterianas Sexualmente Transmissíveis/microbiologia , Antibacterianos/administração & dosagem , Azitromicina/administração & dosagem , Carga Bacteriana , Disponibilidade Biológica , Gerenciamento Clínico , Monitoramento de Medicamentos , Farmacorresistência Bacteriana , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Fatores de Risco , Comportamento Sexual , Distribuição Tecidual , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Seroprevalence surveys of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) antibodies are promising for estimating age-specific CT cumulative incidence, however accurate estimates require improved understanding of antibody response to CT infection. METHODS: We used GUMCAD, England's national sexually transmitted infection (STI) surveillance system, to select sera taken from female STI clinic attendees on the day of or after a chlamydia diagnosis. Serum specimens were collected from laboratories and tested anonymously on an indirect and a double-antigen ELISA, both of which are based on the CT-specific Pgp3 antigen. We used cross-sectional and longitudinal descriptive analyses to explore the relationship between seropositivity and a) cumulative number of chlamydia diagnoses and b) time since most recent chlamydia diagnosis. RESULTS: 919 samples were obtained from visits when chlamydia was diagnosed and 812 during subsequent follow-up visits. Pgp3 seropositivity using the indirect ELISA increased from 57.1% (95% confidence interval: 53.2-60.7) on the day of a first-recorded chlamydia diagnosis to 89.6% (95%CI: 79.3-95.0) on the day of a third or higher documented diagnosis. With the double-antigen ELISA, the increase was from 61.1% (95%CI: 53.2-60.7) to 97.0% (95%CI: 88.5-99.3). Seropositivity decreased with time since CT diagnosis on only the indirect assay, to 49.3% (95%CI: 40.9-57.7) two or more years after a first diagnosis and 51.9% (95%CI: 33.2-70.0) after a repeat diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Seropositivity increased with cumulative number of infections, and decreased over time after diagnosis on the indirect ELISA, but not on the double-antigen ELISA. This is the first study to demonstrate the combined impact of number of chlamydia diagnoses, time since diagnosis, and specific ELISA on Pgp3 seropositivity. Our findings are being used to inform models estimating age-specific chlamydia incidence over time using serial population-representative serum sample collections, to enable accurate public health monitoring of chlamydia.
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Anticorpos Antibacterianos/sangue , Anticorpos Antibacterianos/imunologia , Antígenos de Bactérias/imunologia , Proteínas de Bactérias/imunologia , Chlamydia trachomatis/imunologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Infecções por Chlamydia/sangue , Infecções por Chlamydia/diagnóstico , Infecções por Chlamydia/epidemiologia , Infecções por Chlamydia/imunologia , Estudos Transversais , Inglaterra , Monitoramento Epidemiológico , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Imunoglobulina G/sangue , Estudos Longitudinais , Estudos Soroepidemiológicos , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection is the most commonly diagnosed sexually transmitted infection. Trachoma is caused by ocular infection with C trachomatis and is the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. New serological assays for C trachomatis could facilitate improved understanding of C trachomatis epidemiology and prevention. C trachomatis serology offers a means of investigating the incidence of chlamydia infection and might be developed as a biomarker of scarring sequelae, such as pelvic inflammatory disease. Therefore, serological assays have potential as epidemiological tools to quantify unmet need, inform service planning, evaluate interventions including screening and treatment, and to assess new vaccine candidates. However, questions about the performance characteristics and interpretation of C trachomatis serological assays remain, which must be addressed to advance development within this field. In this Personal View, we explore the available information about C trachomatis serology and propose several priority actions. These actions involve development of target product profiles to guide assay selection and assessment across multiple applications and populations, establishment of a serum bank to facilitate assay development and evaluation, and development of technical and statistical methods for assay evaluation and analysis of serological findings. The field of C trachomatis serology will benefit from collaboration across the public health community to align technological developments with their potential applications.
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Chlamydia trachomatis/isolamento & purificação , Linfogranuloma Venéreo/diagnóstico , Linfogranuloma Venéreo/epidemiologia , Testes Sorológicos/métodos , Tracoma/diagnóstico , Tracoma/epidemiologia , Interpretação Estatística de Dados , Humanos , Incidência , Linfogranuloma Venéreo/imunologia , Linfogranuloma Venéreo/microbiologia , Testes Sorológicos/normas , Tracoma/imunologia , Tracoma/microbiologiaRESUMO
Tubal ectopic pregnancies are a leading cause of global maternal morbidity and mortality. Previous infection with Chlamydia trachomatis is a major risk factor for tubal embryo implantation but the biological mechanism behind this association is unclear. Successful intra-uterine embryo implantation is associated with increased expression of endometrial "receptivity" integrins (cell adhesion molecules). We examined integrin expression in Fallopian tubes of women with previous C. trachomatis infection, in mice experimentally infected with C. trachomatis, in immortalised human oviductal epithelial cells (OE-E6/E7) and in an in vitro model of human embryo attachment (trophoblast spheroid-OE-E6/7 cell co-culture). Previous exposure with C. trachomatis increased Fallopian tube/oviduct integrin-subunit beta-1 (ITGB1) in women and mice compared to controls. C. trachomatis increased OE-E6/E7 cell ITGB1 expression and promoted trophoblast attachment to OE-E6/E7 cells which was negated by anti-ITGB1-antibody. We demonstrate that infection with C. trachomatis increases tubal ITGB1 expression, predisposing to tubal embryo attachment and ectopic pregnancy.
Assuntos
Infecções por Chlamydia/complicações , Chlamydia trachomatis , Integrina beta1/metabolismo , Gravidez Tubária/etiologia , Gravidez Tubária/metabolismo , Animais , Linhagem Celular , Infecções por Chlamydia/microbiologia , Técnicas de Cocultura , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Implantação do Embrião , Células Epiteliais/metabolismo , Tubas Uterinas/metabolismo , Tubas Uterinas/patologia , Feminino , Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Imuno-Histoquímica , Integrina beta1/genética , Camundongos , Gravidez , Gravidez Tubária/patologia , Trofoblastos/metabolismoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Highly sensitive, commercial nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) for Trichomonas vaginalis have only recently been recommended for use in the UK. While testing for T. vaginalis is routine in symptomatic women attending genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics, it is rare in asymptomatic women or those attending primary care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the positivity of T. vaginalis using a commercial NAAT, in symptomatic and asymptomatic women undergoing testing for chlamydia and gonorrhoea in GUM and primary care settings. METHODS: Samples from 9186 women undergoing chlamydia and gonorrhoea testing in South West England between May 2013 and Jan 2015 were also tested for T. vaginalis by NAAT alongside existing tests. RESULTS: T. vaginalis positivity using NAAT was as follows: in GUM 4.5% (24/530, symptomatic) and 1.7% (27/1584, asymptomatic); in primary care 2.7% (94/3499, symptomatic) and 1.2% (41/3573, asymptomatic). Multivariable regression found that in GUM older age, black ethnicity and deprivation were independent risk factors for T. vaginalis infection. Older age and deprivation were also risk factors in primary care. Testing women presenting with symptoms in GUM and primary care using TV NAATs is estimated to cost £260 per positive case diagnosed compared with £716 using current microbiological tests. CONCLUSIONS: Aptima TV outperforms existing testing methods used to identify T. vaginalis infection in this population. An NAAT should be used when testing for T. vaginalis in women who present for testing with symptoms in primary care and GUM, based on test performance and cost.