RESUMEN
PROBLEM: To assess the association between antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis heat shock proteins 60 and 10 (Hsp60 and Hsp10) and subfertility in a general population sample. METHOD OF STUDY: A nested case (n = 146)-control (n = 278) study in a population-based birth cohort. Serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgA antibodies against C. trachomatis Hsp60 and Hsp10, explanatory factors, were measured by enzyme immunoassay, using recombinant proteins as antigens. The main outcome variable was subfertility (time to pregnancy > or =12 months). RESULTS: The prevalence and medians of serum IgA antibodies to Hsp60 and Hsp10 were significantly higher in the female partners of subfertile couple than in their fertile controls. On the contrary, among male partners of subfertile couple, especially among smokers serum antibody levels to Hsp antigens were lower than in the controls. CONCLUSION: The results indicate a serological association of antibodies to chlamydial Hsp antigens with female subfertility in a population-based sample.
Asunto(s)
Anticuerpos Antibacterianos/sangre , Chaperonina 10/inmunología , Chaperonina 60/inmunología , Infecciones por Chlamydia/complicaciones , Chlamydia trachomatis/inmunología , Infertilidad Femenina/etiología , Infertilidad Masculina/etiología , Adulto , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Infecciones por Chlamydia/epidemiología , Estudios de Cohortes , Femenino , Finlandia/epidemiología , Humanos , Infertilidad Femenina/sangre , Infertilidad Femenina/epidemiología , Infertilidad Masculina/sangre , Infertilidad Masculina/epidemiología , MasculinoRESUMEN
The objective of this study was to assess the serological association between previous Chlamydia trachomatis infection and subfertility in a general population sample. A nested case (n = 493)-control (n = 986) study in a population-based birth cohort consisting of 12,058 live births from the year 1966 was conducted. The analysis was restricted to those 6007 cohort members who replied to a postal inquiry and participated in a health examination including blood samples at the age of 31 years. The presence of C. trachomatis-specific serum IgG antibodies was screened by a synthetic peptide-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All the positive sera were further tested by the microimmunofluorescence method using immunotype pools and individual immunotypes of C. trachomatis as antigens. An association was found between the detection of immunotype-specific C. trachomatis antibodies and subfertility both in men and women. The results of the present study confirm the serological association between past C. trachomatis infections and subfertility in male or female partners of the couple in the population-based sample.