Chlamydia Trachomatis–A Cause of Infertility at Tertiary Care Hospital, Pakistan

Abstract

Objective: To determine the association of Chlamydial infection with infertility in patients reporting to tertiary care set up for evaluation.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, from Jun 2015 to Jun 2016.

Methodology: A total of 100 women with primary or secondary infertility were included. Endo cervical swabs were taken. PAP smear was performed. One drop of anti-chlamydial monoclonal antibody was added to each slide, incubated at 37oC for 10 minutes, and examined for Chlamydia trachomatis under the fluorescent microscope.

Results: The mean age was 29.878±3.48 years. 89.0% of the patients had primary infertility, and 11.0% had secondary infertility. The mean age of primary infertile patients was 29.98 ± 3.51 years, while the same was 29.00 ± 3.28 years among patients with secondary infertility. Chlamydial infection was detected positive by direct immunofluorescence (Elementary Bodies) in 6 patients with mean age of 27.17 ± 1.72 years and positive in 13 patients by polymerase chain reaction with mean age of 28.38 ± 1.85 years, having a significant p-value (<0.05).

Conclusion: There was an association between Chlamydia trachomatis infection and female infertility.