title: Screening for Chlamydia trachomatis in Egyptian women with unexplained infertility, comparing real-time PCR techniques to standard serology tests: case control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To study the prevalence of Chlamydia infection in women with primary and secondary unexplained infertility using ELISA technique for antibody detection and real time, fully automated PCR for antigen detection and to explore its association with circulating antisperm antibodies (ASA).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 50 women with unexplained infertility enrolled in this case control study and a control group of 44 infertile women with a known cause of infertility. Endocervical specimens were collected for Chlamydia antigen detection using PCR and serum samples for antibodies detection. Circulating anti-sperm antibodies were detected using sperm antibody Latex Agglutination tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of Chlamydial infection in unexplained infertility cases as detected by both ELISA and PCR was 40 % (20/50). The prevalence of current Chlamydial genital infection as detected by real-time PCR was only 6.0 % (3/50); two of which were also IgM positive. Prevalence of ASA was 6.0 % (3/50); all were sero-negative for anti-C.trachomatis IgM and were PCR negative.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of Chlamydial infection in Egyptian patients with unexplained infertility is relatively high. In the setting of fertility investigations; screening for anti. C.trachomatis antibodies using ELISA, and treatment of positive cases should be considered. The presence of circulating ASA does not correlate with the presence of old or current Chlamydia infection in women with unexplained infertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of obstetrics & gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. rana.abdella@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Rana M A
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Abdella
authors.affiliation: Department of obstetrics & gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. hiae09@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hatem I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Abdelmoaty
authors.affiliation: Department of clinical pathology, gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. whiterose_eg@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Rasha H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Elsherif
authors.affiliation: Department of obstetrics & gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. ahmed.mahmoud.ali@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ahmed Mahmoud
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sayed
authors.affiliation: Department of obstetrics & gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. nadine.sherif@kasralainy.edu.eg.
authors.forename: Nadine Alaa
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Sherif
authors.affiliation: Department of obstetrics & gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. hesham.sheemer75@gmail.com.mine.
authors.forename: Hisham M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Gouda
authors.affiliation: Department of obstetrics & gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. ahmedellithy75@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El Lithy
authors.affiliation: Department of obstetrics & gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. magedalmohamady@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Maged
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Almohamady
authors.affiliation: Department of obstetrics & gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. mabdelbar@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdelbar
authors.affiliation: Department of obstetrics & gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. a_n_hosni@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ahmed Naguib
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Hosni
authors.affiliation: Department of obstetrics & gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. ahmedmagdy@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Magdy
authors.affiliation: Department of obstetrics & gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. mohamedyoussef1973@gmail.com.|Egyptian International Fertility IVF-ET center, 16 Elhassan Ben Ali, Nast City, Cairo, Egypt. mohamedyoussef1973@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Youssef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D057186:Comparative Effectiveness Research; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D017584:Reproductive History; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods