The Importance of the Regularly Repeated Screeningof the Genital Chlamydiosis in Adolescents

Overview

Objective:
Determination of prevalence of genital chlamydiosis in similar group of adolescents as inthat examined two years ago. Comparison of the results with the previous ones to confirm positiveimpact of a repeated screening on drop of prevalence of the infection. Another objective is to makethe epidemiological data on genital chlamydiosis in the countries of the „Eastern Block“ moreaccurate, and at the same time to assess the most suitable screening method.Design: Prospective epidemiological study aimed at finding whether the repeated screening examinationsof genital chlamydiosis in adolescents will result in decreased incidence of the infection.Setting: Veterinary Research Institute, Department of Clinical Microbiology of the Faculty Hospital,Regional Hygienic Station, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Faculty, MasarykUniversity, Brno.Methods: The groups under testing comprised male and female students of two secondary medicalschools and one private grammar school older than 18 (n=232, of which 33 were boys and 199 girls).Direct detection of C. trachomatis was carried out from the urinary sediment of the sample ofmorning urine using ligase reaction, polymerase chain reaction, ELISA and direct immunofluorescence.Results: Identical positive result of C. trachomatis detection by four methods was obtained 4 times,i.e. 1.7%. The result of LCR and PCR were positive identically (4 times), ELISA and IF were, besidesthe above results, positive in other 1 resp. 5 cases.Conclusion: Screening examinations of genital chlamydiosis were performed in adolescents in thetown of Brno. Morning samples of urine from 232 students of secondary schools were examined onC. trachomatis using the following methods: LCR, PCR, ELISA, and IF. The LCR and PCR werepositive 4 times, ELISA 5 times, IF 9 times. Positive results by LCR and PCR were identical. ELISA and IF were positive in other cases. Noninvasive methods are suitable for screening of latent genitalchlamydiosis and for estimation of its prevalence. The authors of the study recommend the ligasechain reaction (LCR) as a most suitable screening method.

Key words:
C. trachomatis, adolescents, screening