Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Canadian Family Physician logoLink to Canadian Family Physician
. 1988 Aug;34:1687–1692.

Chlamydia Trachomitis Antigen in the Cervix: Prevalence in a Student Population

Michael A Noble, Robin L Barteluk, Donald J Farquhar, Robin Percival Smith
PMCID: PMC2218949  PMID: 21253068

Abstract

The prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis was investigated over a two-year period in a population of women university students attending a student health clinic for routine pelvic examination or for a gynecologic complaint. Direct immunofluorescence slide test was used to determine the presence of C. trachomatis. The overall prevalence rates for the two-years periods studied were 8.2% and 7.1%. When women who had symptoms of a urogenital infection were compared to women who were asymptomatic, it was found that symptomatic women were more likely to have C. trachomatis in the cervix. To determine whether women with positive cases showed differences in appearance of the cervix, method of contraception, or other organisms colonizing the vagina, the cases were matched with two controls, and a retrospective chart review was performed. The cases were more likely to have cervicitis and to be culture positive with gardnerella vaginalis, and they were less likely to have used condoms for contraception. In the two periods studied, the carriage rates for asymptomatic cases were 6% and 5%. Fifty-eight per cent of all positive cases were asymptomatic. If this organism is to be eradicated from college-women populations, all women attending for a urogenital infection should be screened, and women attending for routine annual examinations should be screened if there is a clinical indication.

Keywords: chlamydia trachomatis, college women, prevalence

Full text

PDF
1687

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bowie W. R., Borrie-Hume C. J., Manzon L. M., Fawcett A., Percival-Smith R. K., Jones H. D. Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in two different populations of women. Can Med Assoc J. 1981 Jun 1;124(11):1477–1479. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brunham R. C., Paavonen J., Stevens C. E., Kiviat N., Kuo C. C., Critchlow C. W., Holmes K. K. Mucopurulent cervicitis--the ignored counterpart in women of urethritis in men. N Engl J Med. 1984 Jul 5;311(1):1–6. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198407053110101. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chacko M. R., Lovchik J. C. Chlamydia trachomatis infection in sexually active adolescents: prevalence and risk factors. Pediatrics. 1984 Jun;73(6):836–840. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Coudron P. E., Fedorko D. P., Dawson M. S., Kaplowitz L. G., Brookman R. R., Dalton H. P., Davis B. A. Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in genital specimens by the Microtrak direct specimen test. Am J Clin Pathol. 1986 Jan;85(1):89–92. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/85.1.89. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dalaker K., Gjønnaess H., Kvile G., Urnes A., Anestad G., Bergan T. Chlamydia trachomatis as a cause of acute perihepatitis associated with pelvic inflammatory disease. Br J Vener Dis. 1981 Feb;57(1):41–43. doi: 10.1136/sti.57.1.41. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Datlof S., Coleman P. D., Forbes G. B., Kreipe R. E. Ventricular dilation on CAT scans of patients with anorexia nervosa. Am J Psychiatry. 1986 Jan;143(1):96–98. doi: 10.1176/ajp.143.1.96. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Forbes B. A., Bartholoma N., McMillan J., Roefaro M., Weiner L., Welych L. Evaluation of a monoclonal antibody test to detect chlamydia in cervical and urethral specimens. J Clin Microbiol. 1986 Jun;23(6):1136–1137. doi: 10.1128/jcm.23.6.1136-1137.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Gjønnaess H., Dalaker K., Anestad G., Mårdh P. A., Kvile G., Bergan T. Pelvic inflammatory disease: etiologic studies with emphasis on chlamydial infection. Obstet Gynecol. 1982 May;59(5):550–555. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Golden N., Hammerschlag M., Neuhoff S., Gleyzer A. Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis cervical infection in female adolescents. Am J Dis Child. 1984 Jun;138(6):562–564. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1984.02140440046010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Graber C. D., Williamson O., Pike J., Valicenti J. Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in endocervical specimens using direct immunofluorescence. Obstet Gynecol. 1985 Nov;66(5):727–730. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Haberberger R. L., Jr, Duncan D. F., Frisch L. E., Narve M. D. Epidemiological and clinical correlates of endocervical chlamydial infections in female university students presenting for routine pap examination. J Am Coll Health. 1985 Jun;33(6):262–263. doi: 10.1080/07448481.1985.9935037. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Handsfield H. H., Jasman L. L., Roberts P. L., Hanson V. W., Kothenbeutel R. L., Stamm W. E. Criteria for selective screening for Chlamydia trachomatis infection in women attending family planning clinics. JAMA. 1986 Apr 4;255(13):1730–1734. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kane J. L., Woodland R. M., Forsey T., Darougar S., Elder M. G. Evidence of chlamydial infection in infertile women with and without fallopian tube obstruction. Fertil Steril. 1984 Dec;42(6):843–848. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)48254-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lindner L. E., Geerling S., Nettum J. A., Miller S. L., Altman K. H., Wechter S. R. Identification of chlamydia in cervical smears by immunofluorescence: technic, sensitivity, and specificity. Am J Clin Pathol. 1986 Feb;85(2):180–185. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/85.2.180. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lipkin E. S., Moncada J. V., Shafer M. A., Wilson T. E., Schachter J. Comparison of monoclonal antibody staining and culture in diagnosing cervical chlamydial infection. J Clin Microbiol. 1986 Jan;23(1):114–117. doi: 10.1128/jcm.23.1.114-117.1986. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Møller B. R., Allen J., Toft B., Hansen K. B., Taylor-Robinson D. Pelvic inflammatory disease after hysterosalpingography associated with Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma hominis. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1984 Dec;91(12):1181–1187. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1984.tb04734.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Møller B. R., Taylor-Robinson D., Furr P. M., Toft B., Allen J. Serological evidence that chlamydiae and mycoplasmas are involved in infertility of women. J Reprod Fertil. 1985 Jan;73(1):237–240. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0730237. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Quinn T. C., Warfield P., Kappus E., Barbacci M., Spence M. Screening for Chlamydia trachomatis infection in an inner-city population: a comparison of diagnostic methods. J Infect Dis. 1985 Aug;152(2):419–423. doi: 10.1093/infdis/152.2.419. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Shafer M. A., Chew K. L., Kromhout L. K., Beck A., Sweet R. L., Schachter J., King E. B. Chlamydial endocervical infections and cytologic findings in sexually active female adolescents. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1985 Mar 15;151(6):765–771. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(85)90516-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Simson J. N. Chlamydial perihepatitis (Curtis-Fitz-Hugh-syndrome) after hydrotubation. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1984 Sep 1;289(6444):544–545. doi: 10.1136/bmj.289.6444.544. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Stamm W. E., Harrison H. R., Alexander E. R., Cles L. D., Spence M. R., Quinn T. C. Diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis infections by direct immunofluorescence staining of genital secretions. A multicenter trial. Ann Intern Med. 1984 Nov;101(5):638–641. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-101-5-638. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Stamm W. E., Wagner K. F., Amsel R., Alexander E. R., Turck M., Counts G. W., Holmes K. K. Causes of the acute urethral syndrome in women. N Engl J Med. 1980 Aug 21;303(8):409–415. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198008213030801. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Westergaard L., Philipsen T., Scheibel J. Significance of cervical Chlamydia trachomatis infection in postabortal pelvic inflammatory disease. Obstet Gynecol. 1982 Sep;60(3):322–325. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Canadian Family Physician are provided here courtesy of College of Family Physicians of Canada

RESOURCES