Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis Antigen and Antibody in Infertile Women in Ahwaz

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular bacterium which causes a wide variety of human infections such as ocular, urogenital and respiratory infections. Genital infections of women, especially when repeated, give rise to many complications such as ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage and infertility. Since chlamydial infections are usually asymptomatic, they progress unnoticed and produce the sequela. The method of choice for the isolation of C. trachomatis is cell culture but other techniques like DIF and ELISA are more feasible, faster, less expensive and adequately specific and sensitive. In this study, prevalence of C. trachomatis antigen and antibody was assessed in a high risk group of infertile women by DIF and ELISA methods in Ahwaz, Southwest of Iran. The rates obtained were much less than those of many other populations, e. g. USA, Sweden, Australia, South Africa and Turkey. It was also concluded that presence of C. trachomatis antigen and antibody was associated with infertility in these women when compared with healthy pregnant control women. I