A STUDY OF CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS AMONG WOMEN WITH NORMAL AND ABNORMAL CERVICAL SMEARS IN LAGOS

Abstract

Aim: To determine the association between Chlamydia trachomatis and precancerous lesion of the Cervix.
Method: A case control study of 30 women with abnormal Pap smear and 60 women with normal smear who were interviewed using a structured questionnaire followed by pelvic examination, cervical cancer screening (Pap smear) and endocervical swab for Chlamydia trachomatis test using genomic detection test (PCR), in all the eligible participants.

Result: The mean age of the cases was 37.5±5.6 years and 41.8±8.5 years for the controls. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean ages of both cases and the controls (P=0.06 ). The prevalence of C. trachomatis in the study population was 27.7%; with majority of the women in reproductive age group. The prevalence of C. trachomatis with age was significant (X2 =16.53, df = 5, p=0.05). There was no statistically significant association between age and prevalence of C. trachomatis among women with abnormal smear (X2 = 1.76, df = 4, p = 0.780).
The prevalence of C. trachomatis was higher in women with abnormal cervical smear compared with women with normal cytology and this difference was statistically significant (X2 = 10.95, p = 0.001). There was however, no statistical association between the prevalence of C. trachomatis and cervical cytological types (X2 = 1.892, p = 0.595).

Conclusion: Chlamydia trachomatis had been identified as a sexually transmitted disease with an association with precancerous lesion of the cervix. The findings in this study showed that C. trachomatis is significantly associated with abnormal cervical smear in Lagos.

Abbreviations: X2 = Chi-squared, df = degree of differentiation, P = p value, PCR = Polymerase chain reaction

A STUDY OF CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS AMONG WOMEN WITH NORMAL AND ABNORMAL CERVICAL SMEARS IN LAGOS