ISSN:
1468-3083
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
There is controversy over the role of asymptomatic genital tract infection by Chlamydia trachomatis, its optimal diagnosis, and its place in the etiology of male infertility.〈section xml:id="abs1-3"〉〈title type="main"〉ObjectiveComparision of direct detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in semen with the presence of chlamydia-antibodies in seminal plasma and serum, together with parameters of the spermatogram, in men of infertile relationships.〈section xml:id="abs1-4"〉〈title type="main"〉Study designProspective clinical study.〈section xml:id="abs1-5"〉〈title type="main"〉SettingUniversity hospital tertiary referral center.〈section xml:id="abs1-6"〉〈title type="main"〉Subjects and methodsTwo groups of consecutive andrological patients (n = 89 and n= 36) were investigated as follows: semen analysis, including concentration of granulocyte-elastase; detection of C. trachomatis in semen samples and first void urine by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antigen-ELISA (Celisa®); detection of chlamydia antibodies in serum and seminal plasma by recombinant antibody-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (rELISA®) and of Chlamydia trachomatis specific antibodies by the ImmunoComb®-Chlamydia-Bivalent test.〈section xml:id="abs1-7"〉〈title type="main"〉ResultsIn 2/125 (1.6%) semen samples Chlamydia trachomatis DNA was detected by PCR. Genus specific anti-chlamydia-IgA was found in 12/122 (9%) of the seminal plasmas. This IgA appeared to be specific for C. trachomatis. Seminal plasmas with chlamydia-IgA antibodies showed higher PMN-elastase levels than IgA negative samples (P 〈 0.04). Chla-mydia-IgG antibodies were present in 27/89 (30%) of the sera, but in only five of these 27 sera (19%) were the antibodies detected specific for C. trachomatis. There were no associations between any of these variables and the parameters of the routine semen analysis.〈section xml:id="abs1-8"〉〈title type="main"〉ConclusionIgA-chlamydial antibodies in seminal plasma appeared to be specific against C. trachomatis and were associated with an inflammatory response in the male genital tract.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-3083.1999.tb01005.x
