Frequency of Chlamydia trachomatis Infection in Spontaneous Abortion of Infertile Women During First Pregnancy Referred to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences by Nested PCR Method in 2015

Objectives: Chlamydia trachomatis, as the main cause of bacterial sexually transmitted disease (STD), can lead to serious complications such as spontaneous abortion. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the frequency of C. trachomatis infection in spontaneous abortion of infertile women who referred to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences during the first pregnancy by means of nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method in 2015. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed in the infertility clinics of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences from March 21, 2015 to March 19, 2016. A total of 120 infertile women were selected by the convenience sampling method. The specimens were prepared by the Dacron swab after four rotations in the endocervix and discharged into the specific transport medium of C. trachomatis. The DNA extraction was then performed by AccuPrep genomic DNA kit and the DNA was extracted until performing the PCR at-20°C. Next, nested PCR was conducted in 2 rounds and the final product of PCR was agar-2 gel electrophoresis. After entering the data in SPSS, the chi-square test was used to examine the role of factors influencing C. trachomatis infection and a P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The incidence of C. trachomatis infection in women with spontaneous abortion was 16.66. In addition, there was a significant difference between the infected and non-infected groups regarding employment (P < 0.04), birth control method (P < 0.03), and the number of sexual intercourses per week (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The prevalence of C. trachomatis in women who became pregnant with infertility treatment and spontaneous abortion was high in this study. Thus, nested PCR is considered an appropriate method for the diagnosis of C. trachomatis and it is essential for pregnant women who experience pregnancy with infertility treatment. © 2019 The Author (s).