Clinical manifestations of genital infection due to Chlamydia trachomatis in women: differences related to serovar.
The relationship between the infecting Chlamydia trachomatis serovar and the clinical manifestations of genital tract infection was evaluated in a study of 155 women attending a sexually transmitted diseases clinic; 99 women had lower genital tract infection and 56 had Chlamydia-associated pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). In the group with lower genital tract infection, women with serovar F differed from those with serovars of class B or C in that they exhibited fewer signs of cervical infection, including easily induced bleeding (P = .04), edema of the zone of cervical ectopy (P = .06), and colposcopic evidence of mucopurulent endocervical discharge (P = .007). Serovar F also produced fewer infections with inclusion counts of > or = 1,000 and fewer rectal infections (P = .04). There was no apparent association of any specific serovar with PID. Thus, in this population, serovar F was associated with fewer objective clinical manifestations of mucopurulent endocervical discharge, and the distribution of chlamydial serovars found in PID reflected that found in lower genital tract infection.
Workowski
K A
KA
Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle.
Stevens
C E
CE
Suchland
R J
RJ
Holmes
K K
KK
Eschenbach
D A
DA
Pettinger
M B
MB
Stamm
W E
WE
D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012698:Serologic Tests; D012703:Serotyping