[Distribution of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) antigen on the area surrounding the cervix in patients with CT cervicitis].

Abstract

The initial site of infection with female chlamydia trachomatis (CT) genital infection is known to be the cervix. CT can often be detected in vaginal discharge, urethral swabs and urinary sediment. In order to determine the distribution of CT around the cervix, CT detection by Chlamydiazyme was performed on specimens other than cervical swabs, obtained from females whose cervical swabs were positive for CT. Positive rates and mean reaction values for Chlamydiazyme were 97.4% and 0.762 +/- 0.570 for cervical discharge, 75.4% and 0.503 +/- 0.536 for vaginal wall swab, 72.1% and 0.489 +/- 0.516 for vaginal swab, 62.7% and 0.696 +/- 0.760 for urethral swab and 43.8% and 0.228 +/- 0.328 for urinary sediment. Both the positive rate and the mean reactive value were revealed to be in the order: vaginal wall = vestbule swab < vaginal discharge < cervical swab. The results are consistent with the assumption that CT was contained in discharge in the infected area in the cervix and spread to other areas. Both a high positive rate and high reactive value for vaginal discharge sustain the assumption that CT rectal infection could mainly be caused by direct contamination by cervical discharge, not by rectal intercourse.