title: Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in women with unexplained infertility.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Genital tuberculosis (GTB) is an important cause of female infertility, especially in developing countries. The positive results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in endometrial GTB in the absence of tubal damage raise the possibility of the detection of sub-clinical or latent disease, with doubtful benefits of treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in endometrial biopsy samples collected from unexplained infertile women attending Yazd Research and Clinical Center for Infertility by using PCR techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross sectional study, 144 infertile women with unexplained infertility aged 20-35 years old and normal Histro-saplango graphy findings were enrolled. Endometrial biopsy samples from each participant were tested for mycobacterium tuberculosis detecting by PCR. In 93 patients, peritoneal fluid was also taken for culture and PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PCR results of endometrial specimens were negative in all cases, demonstrating that there was no GTB infection among our patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results showed that GTB could not be considered as a major problem in women with unexplained infertility. Although, studies have indicated that PCR is a useful method in diagnosing early GTB disease in infertile women with no demonstrable evidence of tubal or endometrial involvement.
authors.affiliation: Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eftekhar
authors.affiliation: Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Soheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pourmasumi
authors.affiliation: Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Parvin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sabeti
authors.affiliation: Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aflatoonian
authors.affiliation: Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Hasan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Sheikhha
keywords: Genital mycobacterium tuberculosis; Polymerase chain reaction; Unexplained infertility