Relationship between serum Chlamydia trachomatis antibody titer and tubal block in infertile Egyptian women

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum Chlamydia trachomatis antibody titer and tubal block in infertile women.Patients and methodsThe study included 80 infertile women scheduled for diagnostic laparoscopy. Using ELISA, the C. trachomatis IgG antibody titer (CAT) was determined in a venous blood sample (5 cc) obtained during laparoscopy.ResultsThe CAT was positive in 30 patients (23 had tubal block and 7 had patent tubes) and negative in 48 patients (44 had patent tubes and 4 had tubal block). The mean CAT was significantly high (41.7 ± 9.0 U/L) in the infertile patients with tubal block and peritubal adhesion as compared to patients with tubal block only (13.3 ± 3.9 U/L). The latter group had a significantly higher titer than did the women with patent tubes (6.2 ± 3.6 U/L). The CAT values of >8.8 U/L had a sensitivity and specificity of 85.7% and 84.6%, respectively, for tubal occlusion prediction.ConclusionELISA can be used as a simple, noninvasive screening test for C. trachomatis IgG antibodies, with a high predictive value for tubal occlusion in infertile Egyptian women, however larger studies are needed to confirm our results.