Study of the prevalence and association of ocular chlamydial conjunctivitis in women with genital infection by Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium and Candida albicans attending outpatient clinic

AIM:TodeterminetheassociationbetweenchlamydialconjunctivitisandgenitalinfectionbyChlamydiatrachomatis,MycoplasmagenitaliumandCandidaalbicans,inadditiontothepossiblerelationshipbetweenculturedbacterialpathogensandoculogenitalchlamydialinfection.METHODS:Thisstudywasperformedon100(50symptomaticand50asymptomatic)womenattendingtheGynecologicalandObstetricoutpatientclinicofAlzahrahospital,AlazharUniversity.Simultaneouslyaconjunctivalswabwastakenfromthesepatients.Polymerasechainreaction(PCR)wasdoneonDNAextractedfrombothvaginalandconjunctivalswabsamples.Cultureforbothvaginalandconjunctivalswabswasalsodone.RESULTS:Candidaalbicanswasthepredominantorganismisolatedbyculturein20%and40%ofconjunctivalandvaginalswabsrespectively.BythePCRmethod,ocularChlamydiatrachomatiswaspresentin60%ofsymptomaticwomen,whilegenitalChlamydiatrachomatisinfectionwaspresentin30%ofsymptomaticwomen.Theresultsofthismethodalsoindicatedthat25/50(50%)vaginalswabswerepositivewithPCRforCandidaalbicansversus15/50(30%)werePCRpositiveinconjunctivalswab.Mycoplasmagenitaliumwaspresentinonly10%ofvaginalswabs.ConcomitantoculogenitalPCRpositiveresultsforChlamydiatrachomatisandCandidaalbicanswere30%and28%respectively.CONCLUSION:OcularChlamydiatrachomatiswasassociatedwithgenitalChlamydiatrachomatisinahighpercentageofwomenfollowedbyCandidaalbicans.CulturedbacterialorganismsdonotplayaroleinenhancementofChlamydiatrachomatisinfection.