May Chlamydia trachomatis be an aetiological agent of chronic prostatic infection?

Abstract

Chlamydia trachomatis infection is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial disease. The objective of this study was to establish the presence/absence of C. trachomatis in 98 patients with chronic complaints about the prostate and to evaluate the role of this bacterium in the inflammation of the gland. We performed culture and microscopical examination of pre-massage/post-massage urine and expressed prostatic secretions (EPS). In all cases, culture on McCoy cells and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the EPS was performed. Based on laboratory findings in 53 cases (54.08%), Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Proteus, Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus were isolated and accepted as causative agents of chronic bacterial prostatitis. Forty-five patients were categorised as patients with chronic pelvic pain syndrome. The results from the PCR and the cell culture for detection of C. trachomatis were as follows - two positive probes detected at the same time by applying PCR and cultivation and 1 positive only by PCR but not by cultivation on the cell line. Based on these results, it is concluded that C. trachomatis is not so frequently detected in our patients. C. trachomatis may be accepted as one of the aetiological agents of chronic prostatitis and testing for this infection is highly recommended when presumption for chronic prostatitis is apparent.