Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences1028-88801812-5735Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/pjbs.2007.4490.4494Chlamydia trachomatis Prevalence in Iranian Women Attending Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinics]]>Chamani-TabrizLeili TehraniMahmood J.A. AkhondiMohammad MehdiMosavi-JarrahiAlireza ZeraatiHojjat GhasemiJamileh AsgariSoheila KokabAbasali EleyAdrian R.1220071024This study was designed to estimate the prevalence of Chlamydia infection in women attending Obstetrics and Gynaecology clinics in Tehran, during May 2003 to October 2003. Women attending Obstetrics and Gynaecology clinics aged 15-42 were recruited by Sequential Random Sampling. Those who had not passed urine in the last hour were eligible. Informed consent was obtained and a questionnaire completed after being interviewed by a midwife. First void urine was collected and after DNA extraction from urine specimen, PCR tests were performed; urine DNA samples were tested by strand displacement amplification (SDA) for Chlamydia confirmation. 12.6% (133/1052) tested positive for Chlamydia by PCR. Of these PCR positive samples, 86 were available for re-testing by SDA and 67 were positive giving a correlation between the tests of 78%. This gave an overall true prevalence of 6.4% which is however, underestimated. No statistical differences were seen between patient age groups, details of personal and reproductive history and combined PCR and SDA positivity for C. trachomatis. A 12.6% prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis was found by PCR testing which is cost effective to screen and treat. Despite limitations in re-testing PCR-positive samples by SDA, a 78% correlation between tests confirms a high prevalence of C. trachomatis. Non-invasive screening of women was therefore a success in this group of patients. As this was the first time that more sensitive molecular methods were used for detection of C. trachomatis, prevalence in such a big sample size, the results are considerable. However, we suggest further such testing.]]>Awwad, Z.M., A.A. Al-Amarat and A.A. Shehabi,20037206209Behroozi, R. and N. Badami,1999Chlamydia infection among pregnant women referred to perinatal clinics of Tehran University of Medical Sciences in the year 1994.]]>22-232631Claas, H.C., W.J. Melchers, I.H. De-Bruijn, M. De-Graaf, W.C. Van-Dijk, J. Lindeman and W.G. Quint,1990Chlamydia trachomatis in clinical specimens by the polymerase chain reaction.]]>9864868Darougar, S., B. Aramesh, J.A. Gibson, J.D. Treharne and B.R. Jones,1983595355Fallah, F., B. Kazemi, H. Goudarzi, N. Badami, F. Doostdar and A. Ehteda,2005Chlamydia trachomatis from urine specimens by PCR in women with cervicitis.]]>342026Genc, M. and P.A. Mardh,1996Chlamydia trachomatis infection in asymptomatic women.]]>12417Ghazal-Aswad, S., P. Badrinath, N. Osman, S. Abdul-Khaliq, S. Mc-Ilvenny and I. Sidky,2004Chlamydia trachomatis infection among women in a Middle Eastern community.]]>433Kamwendo, F., L. Forslin, I. Bodin and D. Danielsson,1996Chlamydia-associated acute pelvic inflammatory disease. A 25 year study from urban area of central Sweden.]]>23384391Lunenfeld, E., B.S. Shapiro, B. Sarov, I. Sarov, V. Insler and A.H. Decherney,1989Chlamydia-specific IgG and IgA antibodies and pregnancy outcome in an in vitro fertilization program. J. In vitro]]>6222227Mir-Mahdavi, F., S. Mozaffari, S. Abdolahi Fard and F. Orfan,1998Chlamydia trachomatis infections in females.]]>3899104Paavonen, J., M. Puolakkainen, M. Paukku and H. Sintonen,1998Chlamydia trachomatis screening programme.]]>92292298Paavonen, J. and W. Eggert-Kruse,1999Chlamydia trachomatis: Impact on human reproduction.]]>5433437Paukku, M., R. Kilpikari, M. Puolakkainen, H. Oksanen, D. Apter and J. Paavonen,2003Chlamydia trachomatis.]]>30120123Pimenta, J., M. Catchpole, M. Gray, J. Hopwood and S. Randall,2000321629631Quinn, P.A., M. Petric, M. Barkin, J. Butany and C. Derzko et al.,1987Chlamydia trachomatis in spontaneous abortion and infertility.]]>156291296Sambrook, J. and D.W. Russell,20012001pp: 628-630pp: 628-630Scholes, D., A. Stergachis, F.E. Heidrich, H. Andrilla, K.K. Holmes and W.E. Stamm,1996Chlamydia infection.]]>33413621366Verhoeven, V., D. Avonts, A. Meheus, H. Goossens and M. Ieven et al.,200379313317Wilson, J.S., E. Honey, A. Templeton, J. Paavonen, P.A. Mardh, B. Stray-Pedersen and EU Biomed Concerted Action Group,2002Chlamydia trachomatis among European women.]]>8385394Witkin, S.S. and W.J. Ledger,1992Chlamydia trachomatis in sera of women with recurrent spontaneous abortion and infertility.]]>167135139Witkin, S.S., I. Kligman, J.A. Grifo and Z. Rosenwaks,1995Chlamydia trachomatis detected by polymerase chain reaction in cervices of culture-negative women correlates with adverse in vitro fertilization outcome.]]>17116571659Zaieimi, Y.J., M.R. Khrramizadeh, N. Badami, B. Kazemi and F. Aminharati et al.,2006Chlamydia trachomatis infection in Iranian women with cervicitis: A cross-sectional study.]]>356975