ABSTRACT

Our aim was to evaluate the frequency of C. Trachomatis - a microorganism held responsible in the etiopathogenesis of tubal infertility factor- in the turkish infertile population, using the PCR procedure on endocervical smear samples.

In 61 patients presenting with infertility to Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, samples were taken prior to the Hysterosalphingography (HSG) procedure. These samples were then checked for C. Trachomatis via PCR and positive test results were later compared with HSG outcomes.

27 (44%) of the patients were primary infertile and 34 (56%) were classed as being secondary infertile. 5 patients (18%) in the primary infertile group, and 8 patients (23%) in the secondary infertile group tested PCR positive for C.trachomatis in their endocervical samples. Out of the 16 patients with a tubal infertility factor evident with HSG, 3 patients (18.7%) tested positive for C. Trachomatis, and out of the 45 patients showing no tubal pathology 10 patients (22.2%) were positive for C. Trachomatis. When patients with proximal and distal tubal obstruction were individually evaluated; of the 9 patients with distal tubal obstruction, 3 (33,3%) patients had a positive PCR result for C. Trachomatis and all of the 7 patients with proximal tubal obstruction tested PCR negative for C.trachomatis. When patients with a distal tubal pathology were evaluated alone, this test showed a sensitivity of 33.3%, a spesificity of 77.7%, a positive predictive value of 23% and a negative predictive value of 85,3%.

The evaluation of C.trachomatis with PCR in infertile patients showed low sensitivity but high specificity and positive predictive value in finding distal tubal pathologies