Assessment of direct fluorescent antibody technique in detecting Chlamydia trachomatis in sexually transmitted infections clinics.
OBJECTIVE
To compare Direct Fluorescent Antibody (DFA) test with Ligase Chain Reaction (LCR).


METHODS
Urethral (in males) of cervical swabs, and samples of urine were obtained from 356 consecutive patients of the Institute of Venerology (220 males and 136 females). Among them there were 96 sexual couples. In 74 finally evaluated and analysed sexual couples at least one sample from one partner was positive in at least one performed test.


RESULTS
LCR-urethra was positive in 60 out of 65 males while LCR-urine and DFA-urethra were positive in 59 and 57 men respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Men infected with C. trachomatis were usually the first to seek medical care; their sex-partners come later. These findings suggest that DFA in males, which is only slightly less sensitive than LCR, should be recommended. Sex-partners of these men, symptomatic and asymptomatic, even with negative DFA-cervix should be given prophylactic treatment.
Dajek
Zygmunt
Z
Instytut Wenorologii, ul. Koszykowa 82a, 02-008 Warszawa, Poland.
Selibórska
Zenobia
Z
Wiecko-Jankowska
Elzbieta
E
D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D022521:Ligase Chain Reaction; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015231:Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*