Post-therapeutic evolution of serum chlamydial antibody titers in women with acute salpingitis and tubal infertility.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if serologic data and, more particularly, antichlamydial immunoglobulin (Ig) M can be used for diagnosis of current chlamydial intrapelvic gynecologic infection.

DESIGN

Forty-two women with acute salpingitis (group A), 131 women with tubal factor infertility (group B), and 98 pregnant women (control group C) were studied.

SETTING

Hôpital Jean Rostand, Sèvres (patients), Laboratories Magenta and Eylau, Paris (serology), Institut Pasteur, Paris (cultures).

INTERVENTIONS

Study groups: endocervical/urethral swabs, pelvic samples; serologic study before and after treatment.

CONTROL GROUP

Serologic study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Serum samples were collected from each patient initially and 6 to 9 weeks later; additionally, two to five sequential sera were obtained from 22 (group A) and 25 (group B) patients with positive cultures, evolutive serology, or positive antichlamydial IgM. Sera were tested for antichlamydial IgG by a microimmunofluorescence assay using Chlamydia trachomatis elementary bodies and for IgA and IgM by whole inclusion-fluorescent assay.

RESULTS

Before treatment, there was a correlation between the presence of antichlamydial IgM and positive cervical and/or intrapelvic chlamydia cultures. After treatment, antichlamydial IgM, when initially positive, rapidly disappeared in most subjects; its persistence after 4 months was significantly associated with tubal sequelae in group A patients and persistence of positive intrapelvic chlamydial cultures in group B women.

CONCLUSION

Serologic analysis of women with acute salpingitis or tubal infertility, including antichlamydial IgM, may aid both in the before treatment diagnosis of chlamydial infection and in the follow-up evaluation.