IMMUNOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR DETECTION OF CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS AMONG WOMEN AT REPRODUCTIVE AGE ATTENDING OMDURMAN MATERNITY HOSPITAL

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted disease. Over 100 million men and women worldwide are infected with Chlamydia at any point in time. The aim of this study to detect the presence of C. trachomatis antibodies and antigen among women on the reproductive age and to study the relationship between the presence of C. trachomatis and age, abortion and ectopic pregnancy. Five hundred women classify into three hundred pregnant women with a gestational age between 12 and 36 weeks and two hundred nonpregnant women. Two blood samples collected individually in two different containers, one EDTA container for PCR technique and plane container for ELISA testing during the period June 2011 to August 2013. Thirty-one samples (6.2%) were positive for C. trachomtis IgG only, while 8 samples (1.6%) were positive for both IgM and IgG. Out of 31 samples, 25 samples (5%) were positive by using the PCR technique. The results revealed statistically a significant relationship between PCR and previous abortion and ectopic pregnancy with P value, 0.001 and 0.002, respectively. The age range between (30-35) years is considered as a risk factor that exposes sexually –active women to C. trachomatis infection. Chlamydia trachomatis infection in women is a cause of abortion and ectopic pregnancy.