title: C. trachomatis Pgp3 antibody prevalence in young women in England, 1993-2010.
abstract: Seroepidemiology of chlamydia can offer study opportunities and insights into cumulative risk of exposure that may contribute to monitoring the frequency of, and control of, genital chlamydia-the most commonly diagnosed STI in England. We undertook retrospective anonymous population-based cross-sectional surveys using an indirect IgG ELISA for chlamydia Pgp3 antibody. Sera from 4,732 women aged 17-24 years were tested. Samples were taken at 3-yearly intervals between 1993 and 2002, a period during which other data suggest chlamydia transmission may have been increasing, and from each year between 2007 and 2010. Seroprevalence increased in 17-24 year olds over time between 1993 and 2002. Between 2007 and 2010, age-standardised seroprevalence among 17-24 year olds decreased from 20% (95% CI: 17-23) to 15% (95%CI 12-17) (p = 0.0001). The biggest drop was among 20 to 21 year olds, where seroprevalence decreased from 21% in 2007 to 9% in 2010 (p = 0.002). These seroprevalence data reflect some known features of the epidemiology of chlamydia infection, and show that exposure to antibody-inducing chlamydia infection has declined in recent years. This decline was concurrent with increasing rates of screening for asymptomatic chlamydia. Serology should be explored further as a tool for evaluation of chlamydia control, including chlamydia screening programmes.
authors.affiliation: School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Paddy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Horner
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Soldan
authors.forename: Sueli M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Gillian S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Wills
authors.forename: Sarah C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Woodhall
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pebody
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nardone
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stanford
authors.forename: Myra O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: McClure
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C082169:pgp3 protein, Chlamydia