title: Chlamydia trachomatis Frequency in a Cohort of HPV-Infected Colombian Women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis), an obligate intracellular bacterium, is the commonest infectious bacterial agent of sexual transmission throughout the world. It has been shown that the presence of this bacteria in the cervix represents a risk regarding HPV persistence and, thereafter, in developing cervical cancer (CC). Prevalence rates may vary from 2% to 17% in asymptomatic females, depending on the population being analysed. This study reports the identification of C. trachomatis in a cohort of 219 HPV-infected Colombian females.
  
  
  METHODS
  C. trachomatis infection frequency was determined during each of the study's follow-up visits; it was detected by amplifying the cryptic plasmid sequence by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using two sets of primers: KL5/KL6 and KL1/KL2. Infection was defined as a positive PCR result using either set of primers at any time during the study. Cox proportional risk models were used for evaluating the association between the appearance of infection and a group of independent variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Base line C. trachomatis infection frequency was 28% (n = 61). Most females infected by C. trachomatis were infected by multiple types of HPV (77.42%), greater prevalence occurring in females infected with HPV-16 (19.18%), followed by HPV-58 (17.81%). It was observed that females having had the most sexual partners (HR = 6.44: 1.59-26.05 95%CI) or infection with multiple types of HPV (HR = 2.85: 1.22-6.63 95%CI) had the greatest risk of developing C. trachomatis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study provides data regarding the epidemiology of C. trachomatis /HPV coinfection in different population groups of Colombian females and contributes towards understanding the natural history of C. trachomatis infection.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá, Colombia.|Biotechnology Institute, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Edith Margarita
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Quinónez-Calvache
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Faculty of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Dora Inés
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Ríos-Chaparro
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas-UR (GIMUR), Faculty of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Juan David
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá, Colombia.|School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Sara Cecilia
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Soto-De León
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá, Colombia.|School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Camargo
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá, Colombia.|School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Del Río-Ospina
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá, Colombia.|School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá, Colombia.|School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Manuel Elkin
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Patarroyo
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology and Immunology Department, Fundación Instituto de Inmunología de Colombia (FIDIC), Bogotá, Colombia.|School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Manuel Alfonso
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Patarroyo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D060085:Coinfection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D027383:Papillomaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012747:Sexual Partners; D055815:Young Adult