title: Genital Chlamydia trachomatis infections in patients with abnormal cervical smears: effect of tetracycline treatment on cell changes.
abstract: A group of 1760 women aged 14-35 years were examined for the concurrent presence of Chlamydia trachomatis and cellular atypia of cervical smears. Positive tests for C trachomatis were found in 126 women (7.2%). Cell changes were found in 85 women (4.8%), and 25 of these were C trachomatis-positive. Slight cellular atypia was the major finding in the smears from 22 of the C trachomatis-positive women, whereas three patients had more pronounced cell changes. Smears reverted to normal in 18 of the 23 patients who returned for tetracycline treatment and follow-up cytology. All 18 patients had smears showing slight cellular atypia prior to therapy. In five patients who also had cellular changes suggesting a human papillomavirus infection, the smears did not revert to normal after antibiotic therapy during the observation period. These findings suggest that patients with C trachomatis and mild cellular atypia should have antibiotic therapy and repeat smears taken before further treatment is considered. More advanced cellular atypia is unlikely to be caused by C trachomatis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Regionsykehuset, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mecsei
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Haugen
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Halvorsen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dalen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology*; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002577:Uterine Cervical Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D014626:Vaginal Smears
chemical_list: D013752:Tetracycline