Is There Immunity to Chlamydial Infections of the Human Genital Tract?

Chlamydia trachomatis is commonly found in the urethra of men with gonococcal urethritis. Studies report a 20%-40% rate of double infection. A two-year study of men attending a venereal disease clinic in California showed that only 4% (4/99) or 7% (10/147) of men with gonorrhea had concomitant chlam...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sexually transmitted diseases 1983-07, Vol.10 (3), p.123-125
Main Authors: SCHACHTER, JULIUS, CLES, LINDA D., RAY, ROSE M., HESSE, FRANK E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
African Continental Ancestry Group
Antibodies, Bacterial - immunology
Biological and medical sciences
Cervix Uteri - microbiology
Chlamydia Infections - complications
Chlamydia Infections - immunology
European Continental Ancestry Group
Female
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
Genital Diseases, Female - immunology
Genital Diseases, Male - immunology
Gonorrhea - complications
Gonorrhea - immunology
Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics
Humans
Immunity
Immunoglobulin G - immunology
Immunoglobulin M - immunology
Male
Male and female genital diseases. Gonadal dysgenesis. Hermaphroditism. Sex hormones resistance
Medical sciences
Original Articles
Urethritis - etiology
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Summary:Chlamydia trachomatis is commonly found in the urethra of men with gonococcal urethritis. Studies report a 20%-40% rate of double infection. A two-year study of men attending a venereal disease clinic in California showed that only 4% (4/99) or 7% (10/147) of men with gonorrhea had concomitant chlamydial infection, whereas 25-31% of the men with nongonococcal urethritis (NGU) had chlamydial infection. Men with gonorrhea seemed to have substantial recent exposure to chlamydial infection, since C. trachomatis was isolated from the cervix of 20% (36/180) of female contacts. Microimmunofluorescence (micro IF) tests showed that 93.6% (131/141) of the men with gonorrhea had IgG antibodies to Chlamydia and 36% (51/141) had IgM antibodies. IgG antibody rates were higher than those found among men who had NGU or no urethritis (83% and 65%, respectively), a fact which suggests that in this clinic setting the men with gonorrhea had very high antecedent exposure to C. trachomatis and may have been resistant to reinfection.
ISSN:0148-5717
1537-4521
DOI:10.1097/00007435-198307000-00004