Does genital Chlamydia trachomatis cause spontaneous miscarriage in black women?

Abstract

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) is the commonest bacterial sexually transmitted disease worldwide and is now being considered as an emerging “obstetric pathogen”. It is an enemy to the human reproductive system causing infertility, adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes but its role in causing spontaneous miscarriage is still unclear. Objective: To assess the association between genital Chlamydia trachomatis and spontaneous miscarriage in black women. Materials and Methods: Eighty three women with spontaneous miscarriage (case group) were compared with 83 women with on-going pregnancy beyond 28 weeks' gestation (control group). Sera of both groups were tested for the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody using ELISA. Results: Seroprevalence of IgG to Ct was 8.4% and 3.6% among women with spontaneous miscarriage and on-going pregnancy, respectively. Ct IgG seropositivity was not significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.192; OR = 0.41, CI 0.10 – 1.63). Conclusion: Chlamydia trachomatis IgG seropositivity is not associated with spontaneous miscarriage in this study. However, multicentre study with larger sample size and using polymerase chain reaction as a diagnostic technique is recommended.