Antibodies to Chlamydia Trachomatis and Tubal Histopathology in Ectopic Pregnancies

Authors: Kubilay VİCDAN, Tamer MUNGAN, Sertaç BATIOĞLU, Tayfun VURAL, Gülnur YÜCE, 0ya GÖKMEN

Abstract: Ectopic pregnancy is one of the most common and serious sequel of acute salpingitis and Chlamydia trachomatis seems to be the most common etiologic agent. ln this study we investigated the serologic evidence of chlamydial infection in thirty-nine women with ectopic pregnancy and in eighteen control subjects with an intrauterine pregnancy. A histopathological study was also undertaken to evaluate the association between ectopic pregnancy, tubal pathology and chlamydial infection. Seventeen (43.6%) women with ectopic pregnancy and two (11.1%) control patients had serum lgG antibodies to chlamydia trachomatis and this difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). IgM antibodies to chlamydia trachomatis were detected in one patient (2.5%) with ectopic pregnancy. Of 39 patients with ectopic pregnancy, the tube was pathologic in 59% (23/39) and most frequent lesion was cronic salpingitis isthmica nodosa (SIN) in 10.2%(4/39). Of 23 cases with chronic salpingitis, 11 (47.8%) also had IgG antibodies to chlamydia trachomatis and six other cases with IgG antibodies, there was no identifiable pathology in the fallopian tubes. This result showed that chronic salpingitis and SIN were the most commonly seen infectious sexuela in ectopic pragnancy. Ectopic cases had significantly higher IgG titers compared to controls, which support the possibility of previous infection with chlamydia trachomatis.

Keywords: Ectopic pregnancy, Chlamydia trachomatis, tubal pathology