Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2006 Aug;82(4):340-3.
doi: 10.1136/sti.2005.019158.

The case for further treatment studies of uncomplicated genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection

P Horner  1
Affiliations
Review

The case for further treatment studies of uncomplicated genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection

P Horner. Sex Transm Infect. 2006 Aug.

Abstract

Azithromycin 1 g immediately and doxycycline 100 mg twice daily have good antimicrobial activity against Chlamydia trachomatis and treatment studies have demonstrated a >95% microbiological cure at 2-5 weeks, with antimicrobial resistance being rarely reported. Recently an 8% (95%, CI 5% to 11%) failure rate was observed in 289 women, but not in men, who had been sexually inactive after treatment. At high multiplicities of infection (load) in vitro persistence can often be demonstrated to antimicrobials-heterotypic resistance. The subsequently recovered isolates do not possess antimicrobial resistance at low loads. It is known that genital chlamydia load varies in vivo and is probably greater in women than men. In mass treatment trials of trachoma, treatment failure is associated with high chlamydia loads. It is therefore possible that women with high chlamydia loads may be at increased risk of treatment failure. Given the imminent role out of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme and the consequences of persistent chlamydial infection in women this hypothesis urgently merits further investigation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: none.

References

    1. Lau C Y, Qureshi A K. Azithromycin versus doxycycline for genital chlamydial infections: a meta‐analysis of randomized clinical trials. Sex Transm Dis 200229497–502. - PubMed
    1. Horner P J, Caul E O, on behalf of British Association of Sexual Health and HIV Clinical Effectiveness Group Clinical effectiveness guideline for the management of Chlamydia trachomatis genital tract infection. 2002. Available from, http://www.bashh.org/guidelines/2002/c4a_0901c.pdf
    1. Fortenberry J D, Brizendine E J, Katz B P.et al Subsequent sexually transmitted infections among adolescent women with genital infection due to Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, or Trichomonas vaginalis. Sex Transm Dis 19992626–32. - PubMed
    1. La Montagne D S, Baster K, Emmet L, for the Chlamydia Recall Study Advisory Group et alThe Chlamydia Recall Study: investigating the incidence and re‐infection rates of genital chlamydial infection among 16–24 year old women attending general practice, family planning and genitourinary medicine clinics, March 2002–August 2004, final report part 1. London: Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections, December, 2004
    1. Katz B P, Fortenberry D, Orr D P. Factors affecting chlamydial persistence or recurrence one and three months after treatment. Chlamydial infections. In, Stephens RS, Byrne GI, Christiansen G, et al, eds. Proceedings of the ninth international symposium on human chlamydial infection, USA, International Chlamydia Symposium, San Francisco 199835–38.

Publication types