title: The natural course of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in asymptomatic Colombian women: a 5-year follow-up study.
abstract: The natural course of Chlamydia trachomatis infection and its risk factors were studied in Colombian women with normal cytological results, during a 5-year period. Eighty-two women who were found to be positive for C. trachomatis at the start of the study were studied at 6-month intervals. At each visit, a cervical scrape sample was obtained for detection of C. trachomatis by use of C. trachomatis endogenous-plasmid polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-enzyme immunoassay and VD2-PCR-reverse line blot assay. Of the women studied, 67% had a single-serovar infection, 10% had a mixed-serovar infection, and 23% had an infection with an unidentified type. An inversed rate of clearance of C. trachomatis infection was observed with oral contraceptive use (hazard ratio [HR], 1.7 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.1-2.7]) and first sexual intercourse at >/=20 years of age (HR, 4.3 [95% CI, 2.3-8.0]). Serovars of group B (B, D, and E) and C (H, I, J, and K) had a decreased rate of clearance (rate ratio, 0.4 [95% CI, 0.1-0.9]), compared with that for serovars of the intermediate group (F and G). At 4 years of follow-up, 94% of the women had cleared their infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Molano
authors.forename: Chris J L M
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.forename: Elisabete
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weiderpass
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: Hector
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Posso
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Franceschi
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ronderos
authors.forename: Nubia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Adriaan J C
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: van den Brule
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000382:microbiology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003105:Colombia; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012703:Serotyping; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods