[Cultural and serologic Chlamydia detection in diagnosis of sterility and increased risk of infection]. / Kultureller und serologischer Chlamydien-Nachweis in der Sterilitätsdiagnostik und bei erhöhtem Infektionsrisiko.

364 women were studied for the possible role of chlamydia trachomatis infection as a factor related to infertility. C. trachomatis was isolated from the cervix in 20% of our high-risk STD patients and in a much lower proportion in patients with tubal (5%) or unexplained (4%) infertility. IgG-antibodies to C. trachomatis were found in 75% of patients with tubal infertility, in 44% of women without gynaecological diseases and in 87% of the high-risk STD patients. By contrast, the difference was significant in the IgA-antibody tests. 67% of the women with tubal infertility and only 25% of the women with nontubal infertility were positive. From these data it appears, that antecedent infections with C. trachomatis, as measured by antibody prevalence, are an important factor in infertility of tubal origin.

Comparison of an enzyme immunoassay (IDEIA) with tissue culture isolation for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis using a single swab.

We directly compared a monoclonal antibody-based enzyme immunoassay (IDEIA) with isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis in cell culture (Buffalo Green Monkey cells) by changing the transport medium used for the IDEIA test so as to allow use of a single swab for both tests of the two techniques. We also modified the IDEIA test to exclude any possibility of false positive results caused by non-specific interference by Staphylococcus aureus. The observed sensitivity of the IDEIA compared to cell culture was rather low, 80.3% (57/71). However the IDEIA test's specificity was excellent, 99.7% (566/564) giving a positive predictive value of 96.6% and a negative predictive value of 97.9% (isolation rate by cell culture = 11%).