Chlamydia trachomatis(Ct) infection in reproductive tract is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases at present. However, relatively fewer studies are made on Ct infection in men. The paper reviews the epidemiology of Ct infection in males, Ct infection and male diseases, Ct infection and male infertility, and the detection of Ct infection in men. It aims at providing a theoretical basis and a practical guide for the prevention and control of Ct infection in men.
Chlamydia Infections ; complications ; diagnosis ; Chlamydia trachomatis ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; etiology ; Male ; Prostatitis ; etiology

Chlamydia trachomatis infection is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases in males and studies on its pathogenic and immunologic mechanisms are rather limited. Animal models play an important role in studying the pathogenesis, course and treatment of human diseases, and those of male genital tract chlamydial infection are relatively few and not well developed. This article focuses on the chlamydia species, animal species, infection route, infected organ, and infection process of chlamydia, as well as its impact on reproduction, aiming to provide some help for further studies of male genital tract chlamydial infection.
Animals ; Chlamydia Infections ; complications ; transmission ; Chlamydia trachomatis ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Male ; Reproduction

A 40-year-old Korean man presented with painful swelling and tenderness of both ankle joints as well as the plantar surfaces of both feet, along with inflammatory back pain, and a purulent discharge from the urethral orifice. The patient also complained of sicca-like symptoms including dry eyes and dry mouth. An immunological analysis revealed a high titer of rheumatoid factor, positive results for antinuclear antibody and anti-Ro antibody, and a positive result for HLA-B27. An antibody titer for Chlamydia was also significantly increased. Positive results of the Schirmer's test and for keratoconjunctivitis sicca were confirmed by an ophthalmologist. These clinical manifestations were compatible with Chlamydia-induced reactive arthritis (ReA) accompanied by Sjogren's syndrome (SS). This is the first report of the combination of these two distinct disease entities in the Korean population.
Sjogren's Syndrome/*complications ; Male ; Humans ; *Chlamydia trachomatis ; Chlamydia Infections/*complications ; Arthritis, Reactive/*complications ; Antibodies, Antinuclear/blood ; Adult

Infertility can be attributed to reproductive tract infections (RTI), most commonly nongonococcal urethritis, mainly including Mycoplasma and Chlamydia infections, which may directly or indirectly damage spermatozoa and spermatogenic cells. In addition, a series of immune responses caused by such infections are also associated with male infertility. Methods for the clinical detection of these microbial infections are being constantly improved for more specific and precise control over the impact of Mycoplasma and Chlamydia infections on male fertility.
Chlamydia Infections ; complications ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; microbiology ; Male ; Mycoplasma ; Mycoplasma Infections ; complications ; Reproductive Tract Infections ; Spermatozoa ; microbiology ; Urethritis ; complications ; microbiology

To explore the roles of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and heat shock protein 60 (HSP-60) in women with tubal factor infertility (TFI) associated with Chlamydia trachomatis, and to determine the mechanisms of fallopian adhesions in Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections, the expressions of TNF-alpha and HSP-60 were quantitatively determined in 60 cases of TFI and 30 controls by immunohistochemical technique. The patients with TFI were further divided into group A and group B according to the CT-DNA of cervical specimens of PCR. The quantitative analysis was conducted by employing computerized image analysis system. It is found that the expressions of TNF-alpha and HSP-60 were much higher in TFI patients than those of controls. Among CT-HSP responders, a stronger expression was correlated with more severe salpingeal pathology. It is concluded that TNF-alpha and HSP-60 play very important roles in fallopian tube adhesion and occlusion in TFI due to CT infection.
Adult ; Chaperonin 60 ; blood ; Chlamydia Infections ; blood ; Chlamydia trachomatis ; Fallopian Tube Diseases ; complications ; virology ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; etiology ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the relationship between infection of Chlamydia Trachomatis(Ct) and apoptosis of spermatogenic cells.

METHODSApoptotic spermatogenic cells were examined by Wright-Giemsa staining and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate(dUTP)-biotin nick-end labeling(TUNEL) technique.

RESULTSApoptosis rate of Ct infective group was significantly higher than that of normal group(P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSCt infection may cause the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells, which affords an objective evidence for illustrating the mechanism of Ct-infection-induced male infertility.

Adult ; Apoptosis ; Chlamydia Infections ; complications ; pathology ; Chlamydia trachomatis ; Humans ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Infertility, Male ; etiology ; Male ; Spermatocytes ; pathology ; Staining and Labeling

OBJECTIVETo establish a methed of cleavage fragment length polymorphism (CFLP) analysis with a primer labeled at the 5'-end with digoxigenin for genotyping of Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct). The methods for detection of Ct by major outer membrane protein (MOMP) gene (ompl) with nested polymerase chain reaction (ompl-nPCR) were studied. The incidence of Ct infection in pregnant women, the common genotypes and vertical transmission rate of Ct in Chongqing area during the past one year was also investigated.

METHODSThe samples were taken from cervical scrapes of parturient women and nasopharygeal swabs of their neonates from April 2003 to Feb. 2004 in Chongqing Women and Children's Health Care Institute. Totally 300 pairs (605 specimens) were detected by using ompl-nPCR, ompl-PCR (inside pair of primers was used directly) and plasmid-PCR. The results were judged by the modified gold standard (MGS). The ompl-nPCR amplified DNA was purified by recovery of DNA from agarose gel electroelution into dialysis bags. The DNA amplified from ompl-nPCR was sequenced by ABI PRISM 377 DNA sequencer. CFLP assay with a primer labeled at the 5'-end with digoxigenin was created for genotyping of Ct, and was primarily applied.

RESULTSThe minimum detectable levels of ompl-nPCR and ompl-PCR corresponded to 2.5 elementary body (EB) and 25 EB, respectively. The sensitivity of ompl-nPCR was 10 times that of ompl-PCR. The positive rate of Ct in the samples from the pregnant women was 11% (33/300). The vertical transmission rate of Ct from mothers to their infants was 24.2% (8/33). The rate of Ct isolated from nasopharyngeal swabs 5 - 10 days after birth was 38.9% (7/18), which was significantly greater than that [3.0% (1/33)] detected within 24 hours after birth (chi(c)(2) = 8.79, P < 0.01). Of the 33 Ct-positive samples from pregnant women, 9 had vaginal delivery and 24 had caesarean section. The vertical transmission rates in vaginal delivery group and caesarean section group were 66.7% (6/9) and 8.3% (2/24), respectively (chi(c)(2) = 9.16, P < 0.01). Incidence of premature rupture of membrane in Ct-positive group was 30.3% (10/33), which was greater than that of Ct-negative groups (13.5%, 36/267, chi(2) = 6.40, P < 0.05). Four different patterns were observed in the 16 Ct-positive samples from 8 pregnant women and 8 matched maternal-infants by using CFLP, which were confirmed by DNA sequencing later. They were type E (3 pairs), type F (2 pairs), type H (2 pairs) and type D (1 pair). Each pair of matched maternal-infantile samples presented identical CFLP pattern.

CONCLUSIONSThis study revealed the infection rate of Ct in pregnant women, vertical transmission rate of Ct and the common genotypes of Ct in Chongqing Women and Children's Health Care Institute. The CFLP assay by using a primer labeled at the 5'-end with digoxigenin was first used for genotyping of Ct. The assay showed a good sensitivity and reproducibility, no radioactive contamination, and is simple. Therefore the assay is a potential new method for Ct genotyping.

Cervix Uteri ; microbiology ; Chlamydia Infections ; diagnosis ; Chlamydia trachomatis ; genetics ; DNA Primers ; Female ; Genes, Bacterial ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ; diagnosis

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the correlation of Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uu) and Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) infections with male sterility.

METHODSData from CBMA and CNKI were searched and studies were made for the correlation of Uu and Ct infections with male sterility by retrieval strategy worked out according to the Collaborative Review Group search strategy. The results were expressed as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The results of 28 clinical controlled trials from 1994 to 2005 were analyzed by software RevMan 4.2. Odds ratio (OR) was applied to the evaluation of the correlation between Uu infection and male sterility.

RESULTSEighty-eight relative trials were retrieved, of which 28 were included in the Meta-analysis. The combined ORs of Uu and Ct infections to male sterility were OR(Uu): 4.73 (95% CI: 3.77-5.94) and OR(Ct): 4.59 (95% CI: 3.24-6.50).

CONCLUSIONUu and Ct infections are very important risk factors of sterility in Chinese men.

China ; epidemiology ; Chlamydia Infections ; complications ; epidemiology ; Chlamydia trachomatis ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Male ; Meta-Analysis as Topic ; Odds Ratio ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; statistics & numerical data ; Ureaplasma Infections ; complications ; epidemiology ; Ureaplasma urealyticum

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between vulvovaginitis in pre-pubertal girls and pathogens as Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct), N. gonorrhoeae (Ng), Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uu), Mycoplasma hominis (Mh), M. genitalium (Mg), M. fermentans (Mf) and M. penetrans (Mpe), as well as to find out the proportion of mycoplasma which is correlated to sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and AIDS. METHODS Vulvae swab specimens from 285 pre-pubertal girls with vulvovaginitis (case group) and 128 healthy girls (control group) were collected and detected by nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) to identify the existence of pathogens as Ct, Ng, Uu, Mh, Mg, Mf and Mpe. nPCR with both high specificity and sensitivity, would not be influenced by the amount of pathogens in specimens or inactivated during the process of storage or transportation.

RESULTSThe rate of detection on pathogens was 59.65% in the 285 specimens from case group including 'one kind of pathogen in one specimen' as 37.54% and 'two kinds' as 16.84% and 'three kinds' as 5.26%. However, in the 128 specimens from control group, the detectable rate of pathogen was 6.25%. Relationships were found between Ng (P < 0.01), Ct (P < 0.01), Uu (P < 0.01), Mg (P < 0.01), Mf (P < 0.05), Mpe (P < 0.01) and vulvovaginitis in pre-pubertal girls. In control group the pathogens were detected from 7 specimens including 5 Uu and 2 Mh.

CONCLUSIONSome of the pathogens were correlated to STD and were important in causing vulvovaginitis in pre-pubertal girls. Vulvovaginitis might have been caused by more than one kind of pathogen in pre-pubertal girls. The locations of Mg, Mf and Ng in outer genital tracts were correlated to seasonal change. Macrolide seemed to be quite effective clinically in treating urogenital tract infection caused by mycoplasma and Ct.

Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Chlamydia Infections ; complications ; Chlamydia trachomatis ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Gonorrhea ; complications ; Humans ; Mycoplasma ; isolation & purification ; Mycoplasma Infections ; complications ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae ; isolation & purification ; Seasons ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; complications ; microbiology ; Ureaplasma Infections ; complications ; Ureaplasma urealyticum ; isolation & purification ; Vulvovaginitis ; etiology ; microbiology

Adult ; Base Sequence ; Biopsy ; Chlamydia Infections ; complications ; Chlamydia trachomatis ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphogranuloma Venereum ; etiology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length