[Chlamydia trachomatis: a prevalence study among pregnant and infertile female patients and among men suffering from chronic urethritis]. / Chlamydia trachomatis: etude de la prevalence chez la femme enceinte, la femme infeconde, et l'homme souffrant d'une uretrite chronique.

PIP: In recent years, Chlamydia trachomatis infections have been found to be among the major causes of salpingitis throughout the world. In order to determine in the 1st trimester of pregnancy the prevalence of this infection in a previously unscreened population by direct immunofluorescence (Microtrak), we examined 3 groups: women (n=58), infertile women (n=87) and males with subacute urethritis (n=24). Infertility was defined as incapacity to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months of unprotected coitus; subacute urethritis patients had been treated previously for an acute disease and later presented with persistent urethral complaints. The overall prevalence of Chlamydia in all 3 population groups was 13.0% among 169 patients. This rate was divided as follows: pregnant women--8.6%; infertile women--11.5%; men with subacute urethritis--29.2%. Compared to the pregnant group, the infertile and subacute urethritis groups had a significantly high risk of harboring a chlamydial infection. In all female patients, the risk of chlamydial infection decreased with increasing parity, suggesting an association between chlamydial infection and infertility. (author's)^ieng

Plasma oxytocin determinations in pregnancy with diabetes insipidus.

Diabetes insipidus is an extremely rare condition complicating pregnancy. The deficiency in antidiuretic hormone production has led to the assumption that oxytocin synthesis may also be affected. For this reason spontaneous onset of labor in a number of previously reported cases has been considered as evidence against implicating oxytocin as a relevant factor in the evolution and maintenance of labor. For the first time, plasma oxytocin levels were determined in a patient with known idiopathic diabetes insipidus during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, using radioimmunoassay. Oxytocin was not detectable in plasma before labor. There was however a surge of plasma oxytocin detected during labor and puerperium, a pattern somewhat similar to that seen in normal pregnancy. Our findings suggest that at least some patients with diabetes insipidus do secrete oxytocin and that the role of oxytocin, threfore, cannot be discounted in the labor process.