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Sex Transm Infect doi:10.1136/sti.2009.037036
  • Original Article

Serological reactivity and bacterial genotypes in Chlamydia trachomatis urogenital infections in Guadeloupe, French West Indies

  1. Francois-Xavier Weill1,*,
  2. Simon Le Hello1,
  3. Maithé Clerc2,
  4. Cédric Scribans2,
  5. Bertille de Barbeyrac3
  1. 1 Institut Pasteur, France;
  2. 2 CHU de Bordeaux, France;
  3. 3 Université Bordeaux, France
  1. Correspondence to: Francois-Xavier Weill, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, Paris 15, 75724, France; fxweill{at}pasteur.fr
  • Received 27 March 2009
  • Accepted 4 October 2009
  • Published Online First 22 October 2009

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and genotypes of Chlamydia trachomatis urogenital infection in Guadeloupe, French West Indies. To compare C. trachomatis direct detection to serological testing.

Methods: From March to November 2000, 971 consecutive patients (888 women and 83 men) who had been referred to clinical laboratory of the Institut Pasteur de la Guadeloupe for routine testing for genital infection, were recruited. Samples were subjected to a nucleic acid amplification assay (AMP CT, Gen-Probe). Genotypes were determined by omp1 PCR-RFLP analysis. Serological testing was carried out with the commercially available peptide-based ELISA assay (SERO-CT IgG/IgA, Savyon/BMD).

Results: Positive AMP CT test results were obtained for 102 (10.5%) of the 971 samples. The prevalence of infection was 16.9% in men and 9.8% in women. The most common genotypes were E (34.3%), F (23.9%), Da (13.4%), I (9%), and Ia (7.5%). No relationship was found between genogroups and age, sex or clinical symptoms. With AMP CT used as a reference, the sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values of SERO-CT were 81.1%, 56%, 34.5% and 91.2 %, respectively, for IgG and 55.4%, 76.8%, 59.4 %, and 85.8 %, respectively, for IgA. IgG seroprevalence rates were very low (1/5, 20%) in patients infected with genotype Ia strains.

Conclusions: The prevalence found in Guadeloupe did not differ not significantly from that which was found in mainland France. The genotypes Da, F, I , and Ia were more prevalent in Guadeloupe; however, the SERO-CT assay was unable to detect serum antibodies in 80% of the patients infected with genotype Ia strains.

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