[Chlamydia infections in urogenital tract--application of direct immunofluorescence in the diagnostics of Chlamydia trachomatis in the East Bohemian Region of Czech Republic during 1997-2003].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was an evaluation of results of Chlamydia trachomatis antigen detection by means of direct immunofluorescence in samples from patients suspected from this infection.


METHODS
Retrospective study.


METHODS
Institute of clinical microbiology, University Hospital and Medical Faculty of Charles University, Hradec Králové.


METHODS
Samples from females were swabs from uterine cervix, vagina and urethra, from male urethral swabs; moreover conjunctival swabs, bronchoalveolar irrigation, lower respiratory tract aspirates and sputum. Samples were fixed and "dyed" with monoclonal specific antibody labeled by fluorescent dye in the lab with a commercial diagnostic kit and they were evaluated microscopically after adding a drop of glycerol and covering with a top slide.


RESULTS
Within a group of 6126 samples from patients suspected from Chlamydia infection we have found positivity in 14.4%. Of this subgroup 14.1% in samples from genitourinary tract of females and 15.2% in males, 14.1% from conjunctival swabs and 3.7% from lower respiratory tract. According to an age differentiation, positive samples in individual life-decades from genitourinary tract were 0-13-14.4-13.9-13.9 and in females over 60 13.9%. In males the corresponding walues were 0-21.4-15.1-16-13.4 and those over 60 years 16%. So, the highest positivity in our region has been detected in samples from young men aged 20-30, where it is nearly two-fold higher comparison to age-matched females.


CONCLUSIONS
Direct detection of Chlamydia trachomatis antigen with immunofluorescence method still remains a reliable diagnostic tool. But for a control or confirmation of disputable results it is inconditionally necessary to have at least one more method available, e.g. PCR.
Förstl
M
M
Ustav klinické mikrobiologie FN a LF UK, Hradec Králové.
Stepánová
V
V
Buchta
V
V
Kalousek
I
I
Spacek
J
J
Veselský
Z
Z
Macek
P
P
Chrzová
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis; D018153:Czech Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D052776:Female Urogenital Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D052801:Male Urogenital Diseases; D008875:Middle Aged