No association of anti-Chlamydia trachomatis antibodies and severity of cervical neoplasia

Objective: To explore whether the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis antibod ies is associated with the severity of neoplastic lesions in women with cer vical dyskaryosis. Methods: In a cross sectional study in two groups of women referred for an abnormal Papanicolaou smear (group A: 296, group B: 331 women) blood sample s were analysed for antichlamydial antibodies by enzyme immunoassay. Cervic al neoplasia was graded histologically. Results: In group A no association was found between increasing grade of CI N and the presence of antichlamydial antibodies. The proportion (93%) of wo men with antichlamydial antibodies was higher in 14 women with (micro)invas ive carcinoma than in women with CIN (35%). As the high prevalence of antic hlamydial antibodies in women with cervical carcinoma is not consistent wit h prevalences reported in recent literature, we analysed a second group of women in which indeed the high prevalence was not confirmed Conclusion: Our results suggest that the presence of circulating antichlamy dial antibodies is not associated with the severity of neoplastic lesions a nd it seems unlikely that C trachomatis has a role in the progression of ce rvical neoplasia.