Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis pooled serotypes BDE and FGK in children with chronic follicular conjunctivitis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate type-specific antichlamydial antibody IgG in children with chronic follicular conjunctivitis.

METHODS

A total of 90 serum samples from juvenile patients with chronic follicular conjunctivitis were collected in the Southeastern Anatolian region of Turkey where trachoma is still endemic. These samples were investigated regarding Chlamydia trachomatis pooled serotype-specific IgG by using the micro-immunofluorescence test. A titer of 1/32 or higher was considered positive.

RESULTS

Specific IgG seropositivity to Chlamydia trachomatis titer was found in 33 (36.1%) of the 90 subjects. A higher titer was observed frequently in the serotypes pooled in BDE (21 subjects), CHIJ (10 subjects), and FGK (2 subjects), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of antichlamydial antibodies in blood should always be interpreted in accordance with the history of the patient, the clinical picture, and the course of the disease. In the diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis infections in a patient with chronic follicular conjunctivitis, not only genus-specific antibodies but also the presence of the subspeciespecific antibodies should be investigated.