Summary:
C. trachomatis infections are the most common sexually transmitted infections
worldwide and have serious impact, particularly in women and their reproductive
health, since C. trachomatis contributes to fertility problems.
The aims of the study were: a) the use of menstrual tissue as a material for
molecular detection (real-time PCR) of C. trachomatis in women with fertility
problems and fertile women, and b) the immunohistochemical detection of C.
trachomatis in selective samples of menstrual tissue, in which endometrium was
present, as a confirmation of the molecular detection.
In the present study menstrual tissue samples of Greek women were
included that were referred from October 2009 till October 2012 in the
Molecular Pathology and Genetics department in the polyclinic Locus-Medicus.
The group of women with fertility problems consisted of 78 women of mean age
31.16±2.99 years, who visited the Department of Infertility Investigation of
Locus-Medicus, whereas, the group of fertile women consisted of 43 women with
mean age of 30.91±2.78 years (p>0.05). Immunohistochemistry was performed in 8
menstrual tissue samples and in 3 endometrial biopsies.
The rate of C. trachomatis detection, with the molecular method, in the group
of women with fertility problems was 38.5%, while in the group of fertile women
was 18.6%. Moreover, C. trachomatis were detected in 38.9% of women who had no
history of conceptions. The difference between those percentages is
statistically significant (p<0.05). With regard to the immunohistochemistry,
the present of C. trachomatis in all 3 endometrial biopsies tested and in 6 out
of the 8 menstrual tissue samples verified the results of the molecular method.
The C. trachomatis detection rates in women with fertility problems are higher
than the ones published in the bibliography where examination materials are
mainly vaginal-cervical swabs, suggesting that the microbial presence is
located mainly in the upper genital tract. Furthermore, the use of molecular
techniques (real-time PCR) on menstrual tissue samples could also be extended
to the detections of other microbes that are associated with infections of the
genital tract and probably contribute to infertility.
Keywords:
Infertility, C. trachomatis, Menstrual tissue, Immunohistochemistry, Molecular method
