Chlamydia trachomatis infection in young pregnant women in Southern Brazil: a cross-sectional study / Infecção por Chlamydia trachomatis em gestantes jovens no Sul do Brasil: um estudo transversal / Infección por Chlamydia trachomatis en gestantes jóvenes en el sur de Brasil: un estudio transversal

Abstract: This study estimated the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection during pregnancy in a sample of women up to 29 years of age in the city of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, and investigated socio-demographic risk factors such as maternal age, marital status, maternal schooling, and family income. C. trachomatis infection was diagnosed with PCR using BD ProbeTecTM CT/GC Amplified DNA Assay. Socio-demographic, behavioral, and reproductive data were collected using structured questionnaires. All collections were performed by previously trained medical students. The study included a stratified probabilistic sample from four maternity hospitals in the city. The sample included 562 pregnant women, and prevalence of C. trachomatis infection was 12.3% (95%CI: 9.6-15.0). No significant association was identified between C. trachomatis infection and any of the target variables, including obstetric outcomes such as history of preterm delivery. Our findings in terms of low treatment adherence, only 43% of the women and 9.7% of partners, associated with high C. trachomatis prevalence, reinforce the need to implement routine screening for C. trachomatis during prenatal care. The attempt to diagnose and treat this infection after delivery, as in this study, limits the possibility of success.

Resumo: Este estudo estimou a prevalência de Chlamydia trachomatis durante a gestação entre mulheres de até 29 anos e investigou fatores de risco sociodemográficos, como idade materna, estado civil, escolaridade materna e renda familiar, para a infecção na cidade de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Infecção por C. trachomatis foi diagnosticada por PCR utilizando BD ProbeTecTM CT/GC Amplified DNA Assay system. Dados sociodemográficos, comportamentais e reprodutivos foram coletados através de questionários estruturados. Todas as coletas foram realizadas por estudantes de medicina treinados. Amostra probabilística estratificada de quatro maternidades da cidade foi estudada. A amostra constou de 562 gestantes e a prevalência de infecção por C. trachomatis foi de 12,3% (IC95%: 9,6-15,0). Não foi identificada associação significativa entre infecção por C. trachomatis e as variáveis investigadas, incluindo desfechos obstétricos como parto pretermo. Nossos achados de baixa adesão ao tratamento, de apenas 43% entre as mulheres e de 9,7% entre os parceiros, associados a alta prevalência, reforçam a necessidade de implementar rastreamento de rotina para C. trachomatis durante a assistência pré-natal. A tentativa de diagnosticar e tratar esta infecção depois do parto, como feito neste estudo, limita a possibilidade de sucesso.

Resumen: Este estudio estimó la prevalencia de Chlamydia trachomatis durante la gestación, entre mujeres de hasta 29 años, e investigó factores de riesgo sociodemográficos como: edad materna, estado civil, escolaridad materna y renta familiar, para esta infección en la ciudad de Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. La infección por C. trachomatis fue diagnosticada mediante PCR, utilizando BD ProbeTecTM CT/GC Amplified DNA Assay system. Los datos sociodemográficos, comportamentales y reproductivos se recogieron a través de cuestionarios estructurados. Todas las recogidas de datos se realizaron por parte de estudiantes de medicina entrenados. Se estudió la muestra probabilística estratificada de cuatro maternidades de la ciudad. La muestra constó de 562 gestantes y la prevalencia de infección por C. trachomatis fue de un 12,3% (IC95%: 9,6-15,0). No se identificó una asociación significativa entre infección por C. trachomatis y las variables investigadas, incluyendo desenlaces obstétricos como el parto pretérmino. Nuestros hallazgos de baja adhesión al tratamiento, solamente un 43% entre las mujeres y un 9,7% entre los compañeros, asociados a la alta prevalencia, refuerzan la necesidad de implementar una exploración de rutina para C. trachomatis durante la asistencia prenatal. La tentativa de diagnosticar y tratar esta infección después del parto, como se realizó en este estudio, limita la posibilidad de éxito.

Chlamydia trachomatis in human immunodeficiency virus-infected men treated at a referral hospital for sexually transmitted diseases in the Amazonas, Brazil

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to determine the Chlamydia trachomatis prevalence and to identify the demographic, behavioural and clinical factors associated with C. trachomatis in human immunodeficiency virus infected men. STUDY: This was a cross-sectional study of C. trachomatis prevalence among human immunodeficiency virus-infected men enrolled at the Outpatient clinic of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome of the Fundação de Medicina Tropical Dr. Heitor Vieira Dourado in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. C. trachomatis deoxyribonucleic acid from urethral samples was purified and submitted to real time polymerase chain reaction to identify the presence of C. trachomatis. RESULTS: A total of 276 human immunodeficiency virus-infected men were included in the study. The prevalence of C. trachomatis infection was 12% (95% confidence interval 8.1%-15.7%). The mean age of the participants was 34.63 (standard deviation 10.80) years. Of the 276 human immunodeficiency virus-infected men, 93 (56.2%) had more than one sexual partner in the past year and 105 (38.0%) reported having their first sexual intercourse under the age of 15 years. Men having sex with men and bisexuals amounted to 61.2% of the studied population. A total of 71.7% had received human immunodeficiency virus diagnosis in the last three years and 55.1% were using antiretroviral therapy. Factors associated with C. trachomatis infection in the logistic model were being single (p<0.034), men having sex with men (p<0.021), and having previous sexually transmitted diseases (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of C. trachomatis infection among human immunodeficiency virus-infected men highlights that screening human immunodeficiency virus-infected men for C. trachomatis, especially among men having sex with men, is paramount to control the spread of C. trachomatis infection. .

Direct fluorescent antibody assay and polymerase chain reaction for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis

OBJECTIVES: To identify Chlamydia trachomatis via polymerase chain reaction and a direct fluorescent antibodyassay in patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis while comparing the efficacies of both tests for detectingChlamydia trachomatis in these conditions. METHODS: Conjunctival scraping samples were obtained from 177 patients who were divided into two groups: avernal keratoconjunctivitis group (group A) and a control group (group B). The polymerase chain reaction and adirect fluorescent antibody assay were performed. Sensitivity, specificity, receiver operating characteristic curves,and areas under the curve were calculated for both tests in groups A and B. Receiver operating characteristic curveswere plotted using a categorical variable with only two possible outcomes (positive and negative). RESULTS: Statistical analysis revealed a significant association between vernal keratoconjunctivitis and Chlamydia trachomatis infection detected by a direct fluorescent antibody assay with high sensitivity and specificity. Allpatients in group A with positive polymerase chain reactions also presented with positive direct fluorescentantibody assays. CONCLUSION: The association between vernal keratoconjunctivitis and Chlamydia trachomatis infection wasconfirmed by positive direct fluorescent antibody assays in 49.4 percent of vernal keratoconjunctivitis patients and bypositive polymerase chain reactions in 20 percent of these patients. The direct fluorescent antibody assay detectedChlamydia trachomatis in a higher number of patients than did the polymerase chain reaction. Although thediagnosis of trachoma is essentially clinical, the disease may not be detected in vernal keratoconjunctivitis patients.Due to the high frequency of chlamydial infection detected in patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis, we suggestconsidering routine laboratory tests to detect Chlamydia trachomatis in patients with severe and refractory allergicdisease.