Viability of Chlamydia trachomatis in fallopian tubes of patients with ectopic pregnancy.

Objective: To use standard molecular methods to define the prevalence and metabolic characteristics of Chlamydia trachomatis during infection of fallopian tubes in women with ectopic pregnancies.

Design: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)- and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR)-based assessment of presence of chlamydial DNA and various RNA species in fallopian tube biopsy samples.

Setting: Hospital and molecular genetics laboratory.

Patients: Ten women of varying ages, each presenting with ectopic pregnancy.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Positive signal in specific chlamydia-directed PCR and RT-PCR assays.

Result(s): Nucleic acid preparations from 7 of the 10 fallopian tube patient samples were PCR-positive for C. trachomatis DNA. Each of the 7 PCR-positive samples also showed the presence of several transcripts from the bacterium, including primary transcripts from the ribosomal RNA operons.

Conclusion(s): A higher proportion of ectopic pregnancies than was believed previously may be attributable to infection of the fallopian tubes by C. trachomatis. The presence of various chlamydial RNA molecules suggests that viable, metabolically active bacteria were present in fallopian tubes of the patients studied.