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Chlamydia trachomatis detected in human placenta.
  1. M Gencay,
  2. M Puolakkainen,
  3. T Wahlström,
  4. P Ammälä,
  5. L Mannonen,
  6. A Vaheri,
  7. M L Koskiniemi
  1. Department of Virology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Finland.

    Abstract

    AIMS: To evaluate the relation between Chlamydia trachomatis infection and stillbirth, placental tissue was studied for the presence of C trachomatis. METHODS: Paraffin wax embedded placental tissue of a stillbirth fetus, born at the 36th week of gestation to a 21 year old mother with high serum antibody titres to C trachomatis immunotypes during pregnancy and who was culture positive to C trachomatis three years previously, was studied by in situ hybridisation, polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry for the presence of C trachomatis. RESULTS: C trachomatis was detected in placental specimens by in situ hybridisation and alkaline phosphatase antialkaline phosphatase staining in several sections, whereas control tissues were uniformly negative, indicating the presence of C trachomatis nucleic acid and antigen in the placenta. CONCLUSION: This is the first reported case in which C trachomatis has been demonstrated in the human placenta.

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