Chlamydial antibodies in infection
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Detection of chlamydial antibodies in GUM attendees with single or co infections with Chlamydia trachomatis and Herpes Simplex Virus
IRAS ID
204994
Contact name
Ian Clarke
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 29 days
Research summary
The probability of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI) makes it possible to be co-infected with more than one type of infectious agent, either at the same time or during subsequent sexual encounters. Urogenital Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection is the most commonly diagnosed sexually transmitted infection in the developed world, with 206,774 diagnoses made in England in 2014. Other STIs have similarly stable annual diagnosis rates such as herpes, caused by herpes simplex viruses (HSV1 which primarily causes oral herpes (or cold sores), but can also cause genital infections, and HSV2 which is almost exclusively associated with genital infection) at 31,777 diagnoses in 2014. Although initially asymptomatic, CT infections are potentially serious and include ectopic pregnancy, tubal infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease and reactive arthritis in men. Deka et al showed that HSV2 superinfection of tissue culture cells with CT drives the CT into a persistent state, and that CT disease severity may also be associated with this interaction in co-infections. Serious sequelae (blindness, tubal infertility, ectopic pregnancy, etc.) due to chlamydial diseases are observed only if the diseases remain chronic with the resulting chronic inflammation being responsible for fibrosis and scarring that characterize all chlamydial diseases. Persistence and re-infections are the cause of harsh chlamydial disease. Our aim is to measure CT antibody presence in GUM attendees that fall into high risk groups for the effects of STI co-infections such as HSV.
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NW/0346
Date of REC Opinion
4 May 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion