The efficacy of clarythromycin (A-56268, TE-031) in the treatment of genital chlamydial infection.

The authors report the preliminary results of an experience of treatment with clarythromycin in Chlamydia trachomatis endocervicitis/endourethritis; 100% of 51 outpatients treated had negative ELISA results 7-10 days after the end of treatment with clarythromycin 500 mg. b.i.d. for 7 days. Among 64 female outpatients with chlamydial cervicitis treated with erythromycin 1 g b.i.d. for 7 days, 88% were negative at ELISA at the same intervals after therapy. The authors conclude that the efficacy of clarythromycin in this experience makes it use worthy of other and more extensive studies.

[Comparison of cytology and ELISA in the research on cervical Chlamydia infection]. / Citologia ed ELISA a confronto nella ricerca della Chlamydia cervicale.

Papanicolaou smears from 100 woman with ELISA Chlamydia-positive (42) and negative (58) endocervical smears were examined. Chlamydial endocellular inclusions were found in 3 ELISA positive and 2 negative smears, with an evident low sensitivity (7%) of cytology in the diagnosis of the endocervical infection. Furthermore, by statistical analysis it is clear that a negative test doesn't add anything to the pre-test probability (prevalence) of the infection. On the other hand a positive pap-smear adds a poor information, if compared with immunoenzimathic assay and IF staining. Thus, the Papanicolaou smear can't be considered of diagnostic value for Chlamydial infection. Furthermore, it proves unsuitable even for screening programs on high-risk patients, concerning which the immunoenzymatic assay appears, as previously affirmed, the most suitable effort.