Antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis in patients presenting with ectopic pregnancy at Groote Schuur Hospital

Objectives. To determine the prevalence of antibodies to Chlamydia trachoma tis in women presenting with ectopic pregnancies to Groote Schuur Hospital. Methods. C. trachomatis antibody titres were measured using a modified micr o-immunofluorescence test in women presenting with ectopic pregnancy. Contr ol subjects were drawn from women with term pregnancies and an uneventful r eproductive history. Results. Seventy-four patients and controls were studied. Demographic varia bles were controlled for at time of entry into the study. A significant ass ociation between the number of lifetime sexual partners and exposure to C. trachomatis was noted (P = 0.001), Patients with ectopic pregnancies had si gnificantly higher antibody titres than control subjects (P = 0.001), and i n both groups the prevalence of background antichlamydial antibody was high (ectopic pregnancies 59%, pregnant controls 32%). Conclusions. While the role of C. trachomatis infection in women who develo p ectopic pregnancies needs to be explored further, it seems wise to treat them all with empirical antibiotics at the time of presentation.