We tested 97 middle-aged gynecologic outpatients and inpatients with normal cervix, cervical mass or cervical ectopia for isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis using the enzyme-immunoassay method. With the classification of symptom, 4% of asymptomatic patients and 24% of symptomatic patients were chlamydial positive result and not significantly patients with vulva itch or postcoital bleeding had relatively high prevalence rate among the symptomatic patients. According to the endocervical content or ectocervical appearance, the difference of prevalence rate were a little, but according to ectocervical appearance under the pathologic endocervical content, the patients with mass or ectopy on ectocervix had considerably high prevalence rate. When 70% of the patients were compared with the results of papanicolaou smear, between the patients with class U, V and with class I. II III, no significant difference was found. The results of this study indicate that it seemed to be desirable to isolate the C. trachomatis under the findings of ectopy or mass on the ectocervix with mucopurulent, purulent or bloody content of endocervix. The prevalence rate was turned out to be considerably high. Since the results were obtained using the sample of middle aged women, it is expected that the rate would higher in younger women, sexually active. At any rate, further studies using larger sized samples are desired.
Cervix Uteri ; Chlamydia trachomatis* ; Chlamydia* ; Classification ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Middle Aged ; Outpatients ; Papanicolaou Test ; Prevalence ; Vulva

We compared genotyping by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the amplified omp1 gene with serotyping by dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dot-ELISA) to determine the suitability of RFLP analysis for epidemiologic study. Fifteen prototypes of Chlamydia trachomatis and 30 clinical isolates were used in this study. To serotype with dot-ELISA, chlamydia antigen was spotted onto a series of replicate nitrocellulose membrane patches and reacted with 11 mAbs that distinguish the 15 known serovars of C. trachomatis. For RFLP analysis, the amplified chlamydia omp1 gene was digested with AluI to differentiate serovars A to K and L1 to L3. Serovars of C, H, I, J, and L3 were further typed by RFLP analysis after digestion with HinfI, and a combination of EcoRI and DdeI. PCR-based RFLP could identify serotype of 28 among 30 clinical isolates tested. The remaining two untypical isolates were probably due to double infections or mechanical transferring error. Serotyping of C. trachomatis isolates shows that serovars E, D, F, and H are the most prevalent types found in urogenital samples in Korea. In this study, we show that RFLP analysis of amplified omp1 gene may be useful in genotyping C. trachomatis isolates.
Animal ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology* ; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/genetics ; Chlamydia trachomatis/immunology ; Chlamydia trachomatis/genetics ; Chlamydia trachomatis/classification* ; Genotype ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length* ; Serotyping

To predict the B cell epitopes for major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), the secondary structure of CT MOMP was predicted by the methods of GOR based on the sequence of amino acids of E serotype CT MOMP. By combining the comprehensive analysis of transmembrane domain, hydrophilicity profile, surface probability, antigenic index and average flexibility, the B cell predominant epitopes of CT MOMP were further predicted. The N-terminal No. 73-81, 217-225, 377-386, 261-270 and 161-175 were the predominant B cell epitopes. Prediction of the B cell epitopes for the CT MOMP by the multi-parameters is helpful for the identification of B cell epitopes.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Antigens, Bacterial ; immunology ; Chlamydia trachomatis ; classification ; immunology ; Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte ; immunology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Porins ; immunology ; Protein Conformation ; Protein Structure, Secondary ; Serotyping

OBJECTIVE: Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is widely incorporated into cervical cancer screening strategies. Current screening requires pelvic examination for cervical sampling, which may compromise participation. The acceptance could be raised by introducing testing on vaginal swabs. We explored the interchangeability of vaginal swabs and cervical smears for HPV testing, by means of a prospective study conducted in female sex workers (FSWs). Besides, we report on the occurrence of 32 different HPV genotypes in FSW with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) or high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL). METHODS: Paired physician-collected vaginal swabs and cervical smears from 303 FSW were tested for HPV using the Abbott RealTime High-Risk HPV assay. Cervical cytology was examined on cervical smears. In case of HSIL/LSIL cytological classification (n=52), both samples were genotyped using INNO-LiPa HPV Genotyping Extra II. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of high-risk (HR)-HPV was 51%. In FSW with HSIL/LSIL cervical cytology, the sensitivity and specificity of vaginal samples for the detection of HR-HPV was 100% and 70% and for probable HR-HPV 100% and 91%. The mean number of genotypes identified in vaginal samples (mean=3.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.8–4.2) was significantly higher than in cervical smear samples (mean=2.6; 95% CI=2.1–3.0) (p=0.001). The most frequently encountered HR-HPV genotypes were HPV16, 31, 51, and 52. CONCLUSION: As our study shows that vaginal swabs are equivalent to cervical smears for the detection of (probable) HR-HPV, vaginal swabs can be used for HPV testing in cervical cancer screening strategies. Given the acceptance of vaginal sampling, this finding offers an opportunity to boost screening coverage.
Chlamydia trachomatis ; Classification ; DNA ; Female ; Genotype ; Gynecological Examination ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Mycoplasma genitalium ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae ; Papillomaviridae ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sex Workers ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions of the Cervix ; Trichomonas vaginalis ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; Vaginal Smears