Prevalence, risk factors and molecular characterization of Chlamydia trachomatis in pregnant women from Córdoba, Argentina: A prospective study

• Published in: PloS one 2019-05, Vol.14 (5), p.e0217245-e0217245
• Main Authors: Kiguen, Ana Ximena, Marramá, Marcela, Ruiz, Susana, Estofan, Patricia, Venezuela, Raúl Fernando, Mosmann, Jessica Paola, Monetti, Marina Soledad, Rivero, Virginia, Cuffini, Cecilia Gabriela
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abortion, Induced - methods; Adolescent; Adult; Argentina; Bacteria; Biology and Life Sciences; Birth weight; Chlamydia; Chlamydia Infections - epidemiology; Chlamydia Infections - microbiology; Chlamydia trachomatis; Chlamydia trachomatis - genetics; Chlamydia trachomatis - pathogenicity; Condoms; Demographics; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Disease; Disease transmission; DNA; Endometritis; Female; Genotype; Genotypes; Gestation; Health risks; Humans; Infant, Low Birth Weight; Infant, Newborn; Infections; Low birth weight; Medicine and Health Sciences; Membranes; Newborn babies; Patients; Pneumonia; Population studies; Postpartum; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - epidemiology; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - microbiology; Prevalence; Primers; Prospective Studies; Research and Analysis Methods; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Sexual Behavior; Sexually transmitted diseases; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomics; STD; Systematic review; Womens health; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217245

Chlamydia trachomatis causes the most prevalent bacterial Sexual Transmitted Infection. In pregnant women, untreated chlamydial infections are associated with abortions, premature rupture of membranes, postpartum endometritis, low birth weight and transmission to the newborn. In Córdoba, Argentina, there is little knowledge about the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in women in their third trimester of pregnancy, so, the aim of this study was to evaluate Chlamydia trachomatis prevalence and genotypes present in Cordovan pregnant women with different age and socioeconomic status. Design: prospective study. Settings: Women population from Cordoba city, Argentina. Population: Pregnant women having 35 to 37 weeks of gestation. Methods: Five hundred and nine cervical swabs were collected. Each sample was subjected to DNA extraction and PCR for Chlamydia trachomatis using primers NRO/NLO and CTP1/CTP2. Positives samples were sequenced to determine genotype. Main outcome measures: Demographic data of the patients were collected to detect a population at risk for this infection. A prevalence of 6.9% (35/509) for Chlamydia trachomatis infection was detected, with 32/295 and 3/214 from pregnant women with low or better economic resources respectively (p = 0,0001). Results showed a significantly increased rate of 11.6% (30/258) in women under 25 years compared with 2% (5/251) in patients over that age (p = 0,00003). Genotype E was the most prevalent. With these results, we can say that pregnant women under 25 years old and low economic resources are one of the populations in which the screening programs of Chlamydia trachomatis should focus.