Chlamydia trachomatis in subfertile couples undergoing an in vitro fertilization program: a prospective study.
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.
de Barbeyrac
Bertille
B
Service de Bactériologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Bordeaux, France.
Papaxanthos-Roche
Aline
A
Mathieu
Claudine
C
Germain
Christine
C
Brun
Jean Luc
JL
Gachet
Monique
M
Mayer
Guy
G
Bébéar
Christiane
C
Chene
Geneviève
G
Hocké
Claude
C
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