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Genital tract infection with Chlamydia trachomatis in women attended at a cervical cancer screening program in Northeastern from Brazil

  • General Gynecology
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection alone and in combination with human papillomavirus (HPV). Furthermore, the study investigates whether the CT infection increases the risk of contracting HPV and whether the presence of both pathogens is associated with a higher prevalence of cervical lesions.

Methods

Cervical samples of 1,134 asymptomatic women enrolled in a screening program for cervical cancer were analyzed. Two cervical specimens were collected from each patient, one for cytologic examination and the other for detection of CT by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using a primer pair which amplifies a specific sequence of the DNA plasmid.

Results

The overall prevalence rate infection was 10.9 %, being 10 % in the women with normal cytology, 13.8 % in those with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US), and 25 % with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL). The infection by CT did not increase the risk of acquiring HPV infection. The higher prevalence of LSIL in women co-infected with HPV and CT is possibly due to HPV.

Conclusion

CT infection was more prevalent in younger women aged up to 32 years, who had an early onset of reproductive activity and a history of having had multiple sexual partners lifelong may be at a greater risk of acquiring infection of the genital tract by C. trachomatis.

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Acknowledgments

The research described in this publication was made possible by support from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico—CNPq and Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do estado do Rio Grande do Norte, FAPERN (grant PPSUS-III).

Conflict of interest

No actual or potential conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Post-Graduate Program in Biological Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil

    Paulo André Freire Magalhães, Cleine Aglacy Nunes Miranda, Érika Galvão Lima, Josélio Maria Galvão de Araújo & José Veríssimo Fernandes

  2. Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário, Natal, RN, 59072-910, Brazil

    Raíza Nara Cunha Moizéis, Diego Breno Soares de Lima, Josélio Maria Galvão de Araújo & José Veríssimo Fernandes

  3. Post-Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil

    Ricardo Ney Oliveira Cobucci

  4. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Rio Grande do Norte State, Mossoró, RN, Brazil

    Thales Allyrio Araújo de Medeiros Fernandes

  5. Onofre Lopes Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil

    Jenner Chrystian Veríssimo de Azevedo

  6. Department of Statistics, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil

    Paulo Roberto Medeiros de Azevedo

Authors
  1. Paulo André Freire Magalhães
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  2. Cleine Aglacy Nunes Miranda
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  3. Érika Galvão Lima
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  4. Raíza Nara Cunha Moizéis
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  7. Thales Allyrio Araújo de Medeiros Fernandes
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  11. José Veríssimo Fernandes
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to José Veríssimo Fernandes.

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Magalhães, P.A.F., Miranda, C.A.N., Lima, É.G. et al. Genital tract infection with Chlamydia trachomatis in women attended at a cervical cancer screening program in Northeastern from Brazil. Arch Gynecol Obstet 291, 1095–1102 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-014-3514-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-014-3514-z

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