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. 1996 Aug;72(4):261–265.

Differences in clinical manifestations of genital chlamydial infections related to serovars.

M J van de Laar 1, Y T van Duynhoven 1, J S Fennema 1, J M Ossewaarde 1, A J van den Brule 1, G J van Doornum 1, R A Coutinho 1, J A van den Hoek 1
PMCID: PMC1195674  PMID: 8976830

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To study the association of serovars of Chlamydia trachomatis with clinical manifestations of genital tract infection and socio-demographic characteristics. METHODS: In 1986-88 the C trachomatis isolates from 159 heterosexual men and 116 women attending a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic were collected and typed accordingly. A medical history was recorded, a physical examination took place and samples were taken for laboratory diagnostics. RESULTS: Serovars E, F and D were the most common for both men (75%) and women (67%). Men infected with serovars of the C-complex had more often a history of STD (p = 0.06). The opposite was demonstrated in women (p = 0.07). In addition, women younger than 18 years at first intercourse were more often infected with C-complex serovars (p = 0.05). For men, the serovars F/G less often produced symptoms of urethral discharge (p = 0.01) than the serovars of the B-complex and C-complex and were less often associated with the presence of 10 or more leukocytes in a Gram-stained smear (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, infections with serovars F and G caused less obvious symptoms and signs of inflammation in men; in women no differences were found in the clinical manifestation of infections with different serovars.

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Selected References

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