Mutagenicity of endocervical mucus associated with genital tract infections.

Mutagenic metabolites produced due to chronic infection of cervical epithelium are suspected to be a plausible risk factor in cervical carcinogenesis. One hundred twenty-four symptomatic women attending a maternal and child health (MCH) clinic were studied clinically, cytologically, microbiologically, and biochemically for genital tract infections and for the presence of mutagens in the endocervical secretions using Ames' test. Human papillomavirus (HPV) was the leading infection (53.3%), followed by chlamydial infection (25.8%) and seropositivity for herpes simplex virus (25.1%). Mutagenic products in the endocervical secretions was detected in 23 women (18.5%). The univariate and multivariate (adjusted for other genital infections, age, and parity) analysis showed that the mutagenic mucus was associated with only chlamydial infection of endocervical region (OR = 3.7; 95% CI = 1.7,7.3). This shows that chlamydia is associated with mutagenicity of endocervical mucus.