title: Chlamydia trachomatis in subfertile couples undergoing an in vitro fertilization program: a prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objectives were to estimate the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in subfertile couples and to study the relationship between markers of C. trachomatis infection and male infertility as well as pregnancy rates after in vitro fertilization (IVF).
  
  
  METHODS
  All consecutive couples consulting for infertility and IVF in Pellegrin Hospital were screened for C. trachomatis by direct (PCR test) and serological methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and seventy-seven couples were included in the study (mean age in years: 35 for men, 32 for women; mean duration of infertility: 4 years). The most frequent indication for IVF was tubal factor in 33%, endometriosis in 6%, dysovarian function in 12%, male infertility in 36% and others in 13%. C. trachomatis PCR was positive in 1.2% of men, 95% confidence interval (CI95%): (0.2%; 3.3%) and in 2.7% of women, CI95%: (1.1%; 5.5%). When combining all chlamydial markers, 17.3% of men, CI95%: (12.7%; 22.8%) and 20.4% of women, CI95%: (15.6%; 25.9%) had at least one positive marker. The presence of positive markers was not associated with altered semen characteristics. Couples with positive markers had a pregnancy rate of 23.1% (12 out of 52) compared with 20.2% (24 out of 119) among those with negative markers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this population, the presence of past or current C. trachomatis infection was associated with neither semen characteristics nor outcome of IVF in subfertile couples.
authors.affiliation: Service de Bactériologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Bertille
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de Barbeyrac
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papaxanthos-Roche
authors.forename: Claudine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mathieu
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Germain
authors.forename: Jean Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Brun
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gachet
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bébéar
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chene
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hocké
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012661:Semen / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome