Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection and evaluation of its genotypes among pregnant women in Tehran, Iran

Abdoulreza Esteghamati; Shirin Sayyahfar; Khadijeh Khanaliha; Ahmad Tavakoli; Mehri Naghdalipour; Morteza  Haghighi Hasanabad

doi:10.18502/ijm.v14i6.11256

Abdoulreza Esteghamati Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Shirin Sayyahfar Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Khadijeh Khanaliha Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Ahmad Tavakoli Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mehri Naghdalipour Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Morteza Haghighi Hasanabad Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v14i6.11256

Keywords: Chlamydia trachomatis; Outer membrane protein 1; Pregnant women; Prevalence; Genotyping

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular pathogen. Infection with C. trachomatis in pregnant women can result inmaternal and fetal death, due to pelvic inflammatory disease. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate this infection in pregnant women and identify circulating genotypes of C. trachomatis in Tehran, Iran.

Materials and Methods: Endocervical swabs were obtained from 101 pregnant women and tested by PCR assay to detect cryptic plasmid gene. Positiveisolates were analyzed for C. trachomatis genotypes through amplification and sequencing of the omp1 gene and alignment with deposited sequences in Gene Bank.

Results: Infection with C. trachomatis was observed in 11 cases, yielding an overall prevalence of 10.8% in total. The ma- jority of infected women were asymptomatic and the rate of infection was found more in women at the age of ≥30 years. However, no statistical association was found between C. trachomatisinfection and risk factors in pregnant women. Analysis of isolated sequences revealed genotypes E (44.4%), D and F (both 22.2%), and K (11.2%) as maingenotypes of C. tracho- matis in this region.

Conclusion: Results of this study showed the prevalence of C. trachomatis infections among pregnant women is relatively high. Identifying the precise rate of infection and associated genotypes in other regions is suggested.