Mycobacterium tuberculosis and non-tubercular mycobacterium infection in women with unexplained infertility from eastern India

Background: Genital tuberculosis (GTB) is an important cause of female infertility, especially in developing countries. The positive results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in endometrial GTB in the absence of tubal damage raise the possibility of the detection of sub-clinical or latent disease, with doubtful benefits of treatment. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and Non-tubercular Mycobacterium (NTM) infection by using Real-PCR technique in the menstrual blood samples of 120 unexplained infertile women. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 120 infertile women with unexplained infertility aged 20-35 yr old and normal hysterosalpingography findings were taken. Menstrual blood in the first 12 hr of menstruation containing the endometrial tissues from each participant was tested for MTB and NTM by Real- Time PCR. Results: Among the selected 120 patients, only two were found to be positive for MTB infection. All remaining participants were negative for MTB infection. All participants were negative for NTM infection at the endometrium. Conclusion: Although, studies have indicated that PCR is a useful method in diagnosing early GTB disease in infertile women with no demonstrable evidence of tubal or endometrial involvement, our study showed that GTB is not the major problem in women with unexplained infertility.