THE VALUE OF DETECTION OF CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS BY SERUM CHLAMYDIAL ANTIBODIES AND POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION IN PREDICTING TUBAL FACTOR OF INFERTILITY

Abstract

Infertility is a common gynaecological problem that has a multifactorial aetiology. Conception and pregnancy depend on complex physiological, anatomic and immunological factors. The incidence of any individual factor as a cause of infertility varies with the study population. Furthermore, infertility in many , couples has multiple etiologies. Tubal obstruction following salpingitis can be caused by a variety of micro-organisms. Of them Chlamydia trachomatis is more frequently blamed. Chlamydia trachomatis is non motile, Gram- negative, obligate intracellular bacteria that is considered as energy parasites that use the ATP produced by the host cell for their own requirements. They differ from virus by possessing both RNA and DNA and cell wall quite similar in structure to that of Gram-negative bacteria. Also, they are susceptible to many broad-spectrum antibiotics, possess a number of enzymes, and have a restricted metabolic capacity but non of these metabolic reactions results in the production of energy.