title: Antibodies to the chlamydial 60 kd heat-shock protein are associated with laparoscopically confirmed perihepatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our purpose was to examine clinical, microbiologic, serologic, and laparoscopic findings associated with perihepatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective study of 157 women with a clinical diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease, 27 women with laparoscopically confirmed perihepatitis and salpingitis were compared with 46 patients with salpingitis alone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both current use or a history of ever using oral contraceptives was negatively associated with perihepatitis (p = 0.05 and p = 0.008, respectively). Moderate-to-severe pelvic adhesions were present at laparoscopy significantly more often in the perihepatitis-salpingitis group (70%) than in the salpingitis alone group (35%, p = 0.003). Antibody to the chlamydial 60 kd heat-shock protein at > or =0.5 optical density was detected in 67% of the perihepatitis-salpingitis group and in 28% of the salpingitis alone group (p = 0.005), and the median titer was significantly higher in the former group (p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with women with salpingitis alone, patients with perihepatitis-salpingitis do not have distinctive clinical or microbiologic findings but do manifest a higher prevalence of moderate-to-severe pelvic adhesions and both a higher prevalence and higher titers of antibody to the chlamydial heat-shock protein-60.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle 98195-6523, USA.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Money
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Hawes
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Eschenbach
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Peeling
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brunham
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wölner-Hanssen
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Stamm
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000276:immunology*; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010388:Pelvis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012488:Salpingitis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D000267:Tissue Adhesions
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D018834:Chaperonin 60