Chlamydia trachomatis serology in women with and without ovarian cancer.

Pelvic inflammation has been implicated in the genesis of ovarian cancer. We conducted serologic measurements of Chlamydia trachomatis antibodies as a surrogate marker of chlamydial pelvic inflammatory disease. Women with ovarian cancer (n = 521) and population-based controls (n = 766) were tested. IgG antibodies to serovar D of chlamydia elementary bodies (EBs) were detected using an ELISA assay. The odds of having ovarian cancer among women with the highest titers (>or=0.40 OD units) were 0.6 (95% CI 0.4-0.9). These data do not support our earlier finding of elevated titers for antibodies to C. trachomatis among women with ovarian cancer.