Associations among human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II DQ variants, bacterial sexually transmitted diseases, endometritis, and fertility among women with clinical pelvic inflammatory disease.
BACKGROUND
We investigated associations between HLA class II DQ alleles, chlamydial and gonococcal cervicitis, endometritis, and infertility among women with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).


METHODS
Ninety-two women with clinical signs and symptoms of mild-to-moderate PID, enrolled in the PEACH Study, were evaluated. For all HLA class II DQ alleles with a prevalence of 10% or greater in the population, we assessed demographics, cervical infections, endometrial pathology, and fertility outcomes.


RESULTS
Chlamydial cervicitis, gonococcal cervicitis, endometritis, and infertility were all more common among women carrying the DQA *0301 allele after adjustment for race. Endometritis and infertility were somewhat less common (or pregnancy more common) among women carrying the DQA *0501 and DQB *0402 alleles.


CONCLUSIONS
Among women with signs and symptoms of PID, carriage of the DQA *0301, DQA *0501, and DQB *0402 alleles altered the occurrence of lower genital tract infection, upper genital tract inflammation, and infertility.
Ness
Roberta B
RB
Graduate School of Public Health and Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. repro@pitt.edu
Brunham
Robert C
RC
Shen
Caixia
C
Bass
Debra C
DC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D017931:DNA Primers; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004716:Endometritis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000453:epidemiology; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D017931:DNA Primers; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens