title: Prevalence of chlamydial antibodies in women with tubal disease: impact of Chlamydia trachomatis on the demand for in vitro fertilisation.
abstract: Serum IgG and IgA antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis were measured in 102 in vitro fertilisation (IVF) patients with tubal disease and in 102 infertility patients without tubal disease to assess the impact of chlamydial infection on the demand for IVF treatment in New Zealand. Sixty-five percent of the IVF patients had IgG titres greater than or equal to 1:64, compared to 24% of the controls; 29% of the IVF patients had IgA titres greater than or equal to 1:32 compared to 0% of the controls. The proportion of IVF patients with IgG antibodies increased from 39% for those from socioeconomic group 1 to 79% of those from groups 4 to 6. The difference in prevalence of IgG antibodies between the tubal and nontubal patients suggests that about 40% of the tubal infertility currently being treated by IVF has chlamydia as a causal agent. The presence of IgG or IgA antibodies did not seem to affect the chance of pregnancy in the IVF programme, nor the chance of subsequent miscarriage.
authors.affiliation: National Women's Hospital, Auckland.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Peek
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hookham
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology*; D005184:Fallopian Tube Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis*; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology; D009520:New Zealand; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G