Antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis in sera of women with recurrent spontaneous abortions.
OBJECTIVE
The relationship between high-titer immunoglobulin G antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis and recurrent spontaneous abortions was evaluated.


METHODS
Sera from the female partners of 258 couples with unexplained infertility, no history of chlamydial infection, and negative cervical cultures were diluted 1:128 and tested for immunoglobulin G antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis. A subset of patients was also tested for antibodies to cytomegalovirus, cardiolipin, nuclear antigens, lactoferrin, and spermatozoa.


RESULTS
Seven (41%) of 17 women with three abortions and 6 (60%) of 10 women with four abortions had chlamydial antibodies as opposed to 20 (13.5%) of 148 with no abortions, 6 (12.8%) of 47 with one abortion, and 4 (12.1%) of 33 with two abortions (p < 0.01). The incidence of > or = 3 spontaneous abortions was 31.8% among women with high-titer chlamydial antibodies and 7.5% among women who had seronegative results (p < 0.001). There was no relation between any of the other antibodies and > or = 3 abortions or antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis.


CONCLUSIONS
High-titer immunoglobulin G antibody to Chlamydia trachomatis was associated with recurrent spontaneous abortions. The mechanism may involve reactivation of a latent chlamydial infection, endometrial damage from a past chlamydial infection, or an immune response to an epitope shared by a chlamydial and a fetal antigen.
Witkin
S S
SS
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021.
Ledger
W J
WJ
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000382:microbiology*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G