Screening of urinary and genital tracts of adult females for the Chlamydia-like bacterium Parachlamydia acanthamoebae.

Abstract

Some members of the Chlamydiales order, particularly Chlamydia, Waddlia, and Parachlamydia, have been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in humans and animals. Recently, the existence of another Chlamydia-like bacterium, namely Simkania, has been confirmed in the genitalia of adult females, but its possible pathogenic role has not yet been examined. In comparison to other members of Chlamydiales, the presence of Parachlamydia in the urogenitalia of human females and its involvement in obstetrical complications is less convincingly investigated and still a matter of debate. This study aims to examine the existence of Parachlamydia and to assess its prevalence in the genital and urinary tracts of a population of women by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methodology. Endocervical and vaginal specimens were collected from 103 married females, while only 60 females agreed to give urine samples. Among the examined population, 29 women (about 28%) had experienced miscarriage. Clinical samples were tested for Parachlamydia DNA by species-specific PCR assay. Nucleic acids of P. acanthamoebae were not detected in any endocervical, vaginal, and urine specimens tested. This investigation could not bring evidence for the existence of Parachlamydia in the urogenitalia of the female cohort tested. The role of Parachlamydia as a probable emerging obstetrical agent remains to be explained in future controlled studies targeting a larger number of females with prior unsuccessful pregnancies.