Lack of association between serum antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis and a history of recurrent pregnancy loss

Objective: To study the relation between recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, and to compare the prevalence of ant ibodies to C. trachomatis in women with primary and secondary RPL. Design: Prospective comparative study. Setting: University hospital and university student health center. Patient(s): Seventy patients with RPL were selected from women attending an RPL outpatient clinic; 40 normal parous women and 94 asymptomatic sexually active women served as controls. Intervention(s): Blood samples were collected during the clinical examinati ons for RPL. Main Outcome Measure(s): Serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgA antibodies wer e detected by two independent methods, a recombinant ELISA specific to the genus Chlamydia and microimmunofluorescence testing specific to the species C. trachomatis. Result(s): There was no statistically significant difference in the frequen cies of IgG or IgA between the women with RPL and the controls, The antibod y frequencies were similar in the women with primary and secondary RPL. Conclusion(s): The presence of serum antibodies to C. trachomatis is not as sociated with RPL. Women with primary and secondary RPL do not differ with respect to the prevalence of antichlamydial antibodies. Thus, women with RP L do not benefit from screening for chlamydial IgG or IgA antibodies. (Fert il Steril(R) 1999; 72:427-30. (C) 1999 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)