Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Obstet Gynaecol 2019 Apr 22:1-5. Epub 2019 Apr 22.

c Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology , Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital , Nnewi , Nigeria.

Here, we aimed to investigate the predominance of cervicitis agents with minimal testing rates among asymptomatic students in a Tertiary Institution and its associated risk factors. Endocervical swabs were collected from randomly selected 133 female students (15-34 years of age) in Benin City, Nigeria and screened for six genital pathogens (Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma hominis, M. genitalium, Ureaplasma urealyticum, U. Read More

Semin Reprod Med 2018 Nov 19;36(6):340-350. Epub 2019 Apr 19.

Department of Clinical Investigation, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Washington.

is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection in the United States. Within the U.S. Read More

PLoS One 2019 19;14(4):e0215606. Epub 2019 Apr 19.

Department of Medical Microbiology, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), AZ Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Background: The bacterial load of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is assumed to play a role in transmission and sequelae. We assessed urogenital CT cycle quantification (Cq) values, as an indicator for CT load, of men and women diagnosed by general practitioners (GPs), hospital physicians and the STI clinic.

Methods: Urogenital CT-positive samples (n = 2,055 vaginal swabs, n = 77 cervical swabs, n = 1,519 urine samples and n = 19 urethral swabs) diagnosed by GPs, hospital physicians and the STI clinic from the Maastricht Medical Microbiology Laboratory were included (2012-2016). Read More

Front Microbiol 2019 3;10:666. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

Laboratorio de Bioquímica e Inmunidad, Área de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina.

, an obligate intracellular bacterium, intercepts different trafficking pathways of the host cell to acquire essential lipids for its survival and replication, particularly from the Golgi apparatus via a Rab14-mediated transport. Molecular mechanisms underlying how these bacteria manipulate intracellular transport are a matter of intense study. Here, we show that utilizes Akt/AS160 signaling pathway to promote sphingolipids delivery to the chlamydial inclusion through Rab14-controlled vesicular transport. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Apr 18;9(1):6261. Epub 2019 Apr 18.

School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, 5371, South Australia, Australia.

Chlamydia pecorum is an established and prevalent infection that produces severe clinical disease in many koala populations, contributing to dramatic population declines. In wild South Australian koala populations, C. pecorum occurrence and distribution is unknown. Read More

Int J STD AIDS 2019 Apr 4;30(5):486-495. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

1 Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.

In this study, we assessed if the superimposition of incident sexually transmitted infections (STIs) on HIV phylogenetic analyses could reveal possible sexual behaviour misclassifications in our HIV-infected population. HIV-1 sequences collected between 1997 and 2014 from 1169 individuals attending a HIV clinic in Antwerp, Belgium were analysed to infer a partial HIV transmission network. Individual demographic, clinical and laboratory data collected during routine HIV follow-up were used to compare clustered and non-clustered individuals using logistic regression analyses. Read More

J Clin Microbiol 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Infectious Disease Diagnostics Laboratory, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

(CT) and (GC) are the two most common causes of sexually transmitted disease in the US. Studies in adults, mostly in MSM, have shown that the prevalence of CT/GC infections is much higher in extragenital sources compared to urogenital sources. Similar large sample size data on the burden of CT/GC infections by anatomic site is lacking in children. Read More

Sex Transm Dis 2019 Apr 15. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University; Atlanta, GA.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV-associated cancer rates are high among men who have sex with men (MSM). The US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends HPV vaccination for all MSM through age 26. We examined trends in HPV vaccine uptake among young US MSM between 2014-2017. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Apr 16;9(1):6133. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

UCIBIO, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal.

Chlamydia trachomatis is a bacterial pathogen causing ocular and genital infections in humans. C. trachomatis multiplies exclusively inside host cells within a characteristic vacuole, from where it manipulates host cells by injecting them with type III secretion effector proteins. Read More

Sex Transm Infect 2019 Apr 16. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Objectives: Using mathematical modelling, we have previously shown that the prevalence of infection with (TV) is likely to increase in the general population in Australia with the transition from Pap smear-based cervical screening to human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing. Here we use the existing model to estimate the level of supplemental testing required to maintain TV control.

Methods: A compartmental mathematical model describing the transmission of TV in the general heterosexual population in Australia was used to evaluate the impact of a range of screening scenarios on TV prevalence over time following the transition to HPV DNA testing for cervical screening. Read More

Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Res 2018 Nov 18;1865(11 Pt B):1838-1845. Epub 2018 Aug 18.

Université Paris Sud, UMRS1174, Orsay F-91405, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm), UMRS1174, Orsay F-91405, France. Electronic address:

Recent reports have highlighted the pivotal role of Ca during host cell infection by bacterial pathogens. Here, we review how bacterial pore-forming toxins (PFTs) trigger global Ca signals to regulate cell adhesion-, inflammatory- or death processes. We comment recent reports describing the role of bacterial effectors injected by a type III secretion system (T3SS) as well as host cell players in the formation of Ca microdomains during Shigella invasion and Chlamydia extrusion of host cells. Read More

Exp Ther Med 2019 May 4;17(5):3465-3476. Epub 2019 Mar 4.

'Cantacuzino' National Medico-Military Institute for Research and Development, Bucharest 0050096, Romania.

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a group of associated chronic systemic inflammatory immune-mediated rheumatic diseases affecting axial and peripheral joints and entheses. The aim of the present study was to identify what parameters are useful to determine in order to better understand the correlation between the disease activity/severity and the microbiological results/immune status against intestinal and/or urogenital pathogens. Microorganisms known to trigger SpA, including . Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Apr 15;9(1):6031. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, New South Wales, 2751, Australia.

Australian small mammals such as koalas must cope with immense pressure from anthropogenic induced stressors or trauma such as bushfires, vehicle collision impacts and habitat disturbance and land clearance. In addition, they must cope with diseases such as chlamydia. To date, there is no published literature on physiological stress levels in wild koala populations compared with identified environmental stressors. Read More

Infect Immun 2019 Apr 15. Epub 2019 Apr 15.

Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115

Antigen-specific CD4 T cells against are crucial for driving bacterial clearance and mediating protection against reinfection. Although the protein Cta1 has been identified as a dominant murine CD4 T cell antigen, its level of expression during the bacterial developmental cycle and precise localization within the host cell is unknown. Newly developed tools for genetic manipulation have allowed us to generate a strain expressing a heterologous CD4 T cell epitope from ovalbumin, OVA By tagging proteins expressed in with OVA, we can begin to understand how protein expression, developmental regulation, and subcellular compartmentalization affect the potential of those proteins to serve as antigens. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2019 Apr 4;20(7). Epub 2019 Apr 4.

Biochemistry and Immunity Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Cuyo, IMBECU-CONICET, Centro Universitario, Ciudad de Mendoza, Mendoza 5500, Argentina.

Rab GTPases define the identity and destiny of vesicles. Some of these small GTPases present isoforms that are expressed differentially along developmental stages or in a tissue-specific manner, hence comparative analysis is difficult to achieve. Here, we describe the intracellular distribution and function in lipid transport of the poorly characterized Rab39 isoforms using typical cell biology experimental tools and new ones developed in our laboratory. Read More

Molecules 2019 Apr 3;24(7). Epub 2019 Apr 3.

Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy.

Lactoferrin (Lf), a cationic glycoprotein able to chelate two ferric irons per molecule, is synthesized by exocrine glands and neutrophils. Since the first anti-microbial function attributed to Lf, several activities have been discovered, including the relevant anti-inflammatory one, especially associated to the down-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as IL-6. As high levels of IL-6 are involved in iron homeostasis disorders, Lf is emerging as a potent regulator of iron and inflammatory homeostasis. Read More

Papillomavirus Res 2019 Apr 13;7:154-163. Epub 2019 Apr 13.

Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Electronic address:

In this study we examined potential associations of HPV infection with the cervical microbiota. Cervical samples were collected from 87 HIV-seronegative reproductive-age Black South African women. Microbiota were characterized by Illumina sequencing of the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Read More

Database (Oxford) 2019 Jan;2019

Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.

The accelerating growth of genomic and proteomic information for Chlamydia species, coupled with unique biological aspects of these pathogens, necessitates bioinformatic tools and features that are not provided by major public databases. To meet these growing needs, we developed ChlamBase, a model organism database for Chlamydia that is built upon the WikiGenomes application framework, and Wikidata, a community-curated database. ChlamBase was designed to serve as a central access point for genomic and proteomic information for the Chlamydia research community. Read More

Sex Transm Dis 2019 May;46(5):354-356

Division of Pediatric Hospitalist Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.

Hospitalizations offer chlamydia and gonorrhea screening opportunities for youth who may not seek preventive care. Tracking of screening test results still pending after hospital discharge is an important component of clinical care. This process can be improved by protocol use and enhanced by effective, automated electronic health record tools. Read More

Sex Transm Infect 2019 Apr 13. Epub 2019 Apr 13.

PREVENTION, Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre, Bangkok, Thailand.

Objective: Comprehensive data on (CT) and (NG) infections to guide screening services among transgender women (TGW) are limited. We studied the burden of CT/NG infections in pharyngeal, rectal and urethral sites of Thai TGW and determined missed CT/NG diagnoses if selected site screening was performed.

Methods: Thai TGW were enrolled to the community-led test and treat cohort. Read More

Sex Transm Infect 2019 Apr 13. Epub 2019 Apr 13.

Applied Diagnostic Research and Evaluation Unit, St George's, University of London, London, UK

Background: Mass drug administration (MDA) of 20 mg/kg (maximum 1 g in adults) azithromycin for ocular (CT) infection is a key component of the WHO trachoma elimination strategy. However, this dose may be suboptimal in infection and may encourage emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to azithromycin.

Objectives: To determine the effect of MDA for trachoma elimination on prevalence, strain type and azithromycin resistance. Read More

Sex Transm Infect 2019 Apr 13. Epub 2019 Apr 13.

Department of Psychiatry, Tzu Chi General Hospital, and School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan

Background: Several features of borderline personality disorder (BPD) are likely to be associated with sexual health problems, such as unstable attachment, unstable sexual identity and sexual impulsivity. Since the issue of sex is not openly discussed in Taiwanese society, sexual health needs, including screening and prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STI), are often neglected in this population.

Objective: The study aims to determine whether BPD is associated with an increased risk of subsequent STI in Taiwan. Read More

Int Microbiol 2019 Apr 11. Epub 2019 Apr 11.

Department of Microbiology, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Carpio y Pro. Plan de Ayala, Col. Casco de Sto. Thomas, C.P. 11340, Mexico City, México.

Chlamydia trachomatis is considered as a public health problem due to its high prevalence and increased rates of gynecological disorders. The major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of this bacterium is the most abundant protein in its membrane and has been evaluated not only as a vaccine development candidate but also is used in many diagnostic tests. The MOMP weighs 69 kDa and contains four variable segments (VS 1-4) separated by constant regions. Read More

Clin Infect Dis 2019 Apr 12. Epub 2019 Apr 12.

Division of STD Prevention, National Center for HIV, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta GA.

Background: Interventions to prevent HIV in women include screening, partner notification, promoting condoms, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Identifying a woman's risk of acquiring HIV can help guide intervention recommendations.

Methods: We used data from Louisiana's STI and HIV registries to study 13- to 59-year-old women following their first diagnosis of syphilis, (or if none) gonorrhea, or (if none) chlamydia during 2000-2015. Read More

MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2019 Apr 12;68(14):321-325. Epub 2019 Apr 12.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) disproportionately affect gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States (1). Because chlamydia and gonorrhea at extragenital (rectal and pharyngeal) anatomic sites are often asymptomatic, these anatomic sites serve as a reservoir of infection, which might contribute to gonococcal antimicrobial resistance (2) and increased risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission and acquisition (3). To ascertain prevalence of extragenital STDs, MSM attending community venues were recruited in five U. Read More

Biomed Rep 2019 Apr 15;10(4):231-237. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Department of Microbiology, 'Aretaieion' General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 11528, Greece.

Assisted reproductive techniques including fertilization (IVF) are being used increasingly worldwide and screening for genital tract infections (GTIs) is recommended prior to treatment as their presence may affect the success rate of IVF. The current study aimed to assess the possible associations between GTI-associated factors and reproductive outcome in a group of reproductive age fertile females and infertile females receiving IVF. A total of 111 infertile women enrolled in an IVF programme (Group A) and 104 fertile women (mothers of at least one child; Group B) underwent microbiological screening of vaginal and cervical samples. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Apr 10;9(1):5847. Epub 2019 Apr 10.

Molecular Microbiology Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK.

Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) is the leading cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections worldwide and has been associated with male infertility. Recently, it was hypothesized that Ct may infect the epithelium of the seminiferous tubule, formed by Sertoli cells, thus leading to impaired spermatogenesis. To date, there is a lack of data on Ct infection of the seminiferous epithelium; therefore, we aimed to characterize, for the first time, an in vitro infection model of primary human Sertoli cells. Read More

Eur J Microbiol Immunol (Bp) 2019 Mar 2;9(1):5-8. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

Faculty of Medicine and Nutrition, Juárez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad S/N, 34000 Durango, Mexico.

Purpose: We aimed to determine the association between infection and female sex work, and the association between sociodemographic, obstetric, and behavioral characteristics of female sex workers and infection.

Methods: Through a case-control study design, we studied 201 female sex workers and 201 age-matched women without sex work in Durango City, Mexico. DNA was detected in cervical swab samples using polymerase chain reaction. Read More

MBio 2019 Apr 9;10(2). Epub 2019 Apr 9.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Interferon-regulated immune defenses protect mammals from pathogenically diverse obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens of the genus Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) is especially important in controlling the virulence of species and thus impacts the modeling of human chlamydial infection and disease in mice. How IFN-γ contributes to cell-autonomous defenses against species and how these pathogens evade IFN-γ-mediated immunity in their natural hosts are not well understood. We conducted a genetic screen which identified 31 -ensitive (Igs) mutants of the mouse model pathogen Genetic suppressor analysis and lateral gene transfer were used to map the phenotype of one of these mutants, Igs4, to a missense mutation in a putative chlamydial inclusion membrane protein, TC0574. Read More

JAMA 2019 04;321(14):1380-1390

Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Importance: Emerging evidence suggests that risk of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) increases among gay and bisexual men following initiation of HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Objective: To describe STI incidence and behavioral risk factors among a cohort of predominantly gay and bisexual men who use PrEP, and to explore changes in STI incidence following PrEP commencement.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Expanded (PrEPX) Study, a multisite, open-label intervention study, was nested within the Australian Collaboration for Coordinated Enhanced Sentinel Surveillance (ACCESS) clinic network. Read More

Int J Womens Health 2019 22;11:199-205. Epub 2019 Mar 22.

Family Medicine Department, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Sydney, Australia.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of (CT) infection with primary tubal and high-grade serous ovarian cancers.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional, retrospective study conducted at Ain Shams University Maternity Hospital, Egypt, from February 2008 to October 2017. Sixty-seven paraffin archival blocks specimens were retrieved from cases who underwent staging laparotomy due to high-grade serous ovarian cancer (30 cases), primary tubal serous cancer (25 cases), and control specimens of (12) tubal specimens from cases of benign gynecological conditions. Read More

Nagoya J Med Sci 2019 Feb;81(1):151-158

Department of Nephrology, Toyohashi Municipal Hospital, Toyohashi, Japan.

Recent epidemiological or immunopathological studies demonstrate the possible association between giant cell arteritis and infectious agents including . A 62-year-old Japanese man with type 1 diabetes mellitus developed biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis after acute upper respiratory infection. Serological examination indicated concurrent re-infection with . Read More

Infect Immun 2019 Apr 8. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229

The genital tract pathogen is frequently detected in the gastrointestinal tract but the host immunity that regulates chlamydial colonization in the gut remains unclear. In a -C57 mouse model, chlamydial organisms are cleared from the genital tract in ∼4 weeks but the genital organisms can spread to the gastrointestinal tract. We found that the gastrointestinal chlamydial organisms were cleared from the small intestine by day 28, paralleling their infection course in the genital tract, but persisted in the large intestine for long periods of time. Read More

Salud Publica Mex 2019 Mar-Apr;61(2):116-124

Departamento de Cuidado Integral, Centro Nacional para la Prevención y el Control del VIH y el Sida, Secretaría de Salud. Mexico City, Mexico.

Objective: To identify correlates of HIV/STI prevalence among 13 cities with varying sizes of female sex worker (FSW) populations and municipal characteristics in Mexico.

Materials And Methods: FSWs underwent interviews and testing for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. Logistic regression explored variations in HIV/STI prevalence. Read More

Ophthalmic Epidemiol 2019 Apr 8:1-7. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

b Francis I. Proctor Foundation , University of California , San Francisco , USA.

Purpose: The clinical sign trachomatous inflammation - follicular (TF) is used to monitor indication for and response to mass azithromycin distribution in trachoma-endemic communities. Here, we assess the relationship between TF, trachomatous inflammation - intense (TI), and infection with ocular Chlamydia trachomatis over time during annual mass azithromycin distribution.

Methods: We used data from a cluster-randomized trial of mass azithromycin distribution for trachoma control in a mesoendemic region of Niger. Read More

Microb Cell 2019 Mar 11;6(4):197-208. Epub 2019 Mar 11.

Department of Biomedical Sciences, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA.

is an airborne, Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium which causes human respiratory infections and has been associated with atherosclerosis. Because individuals with periodontitis are at greater risk for atherosclerosis as well as respiratory infections, we in-vestigated the role of in inflammation and periodontal dis-ease. We found that was more frequently found in subgingival dental plaque obtained from periodontally diseased sites of the mouth versus healthy sites. Read More

Sex Transm Infect 2019 Apr 6. Epub 2019 Apr 6.

Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Objectives: Current guidelines recommend screening sexually active persons with HIV (PWH) for (NG) and (CT) at least annually. Yet, screening rates in many HIV clinics remain low. In this study, we estimated the number needed to screen (NNS) to detect a NG and/or CT infection at each anatomic site among different subpopulations of PWH. Read More

J Obstet Gynaecol Can 2019 Apr 2. Epub 2019 Apr 2.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.

Objective: This study sought to determine the proportion of pregnant women who are tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia as part of their prenatal care and to examine patient and provider factors affecting testing rates.

Methods: The study investigators conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients who were delivered at St. Michael's Hospital, an urban tertiary care centre in Toronto, Ontario, between November 2015 and April 2016. Read More

Sex Transm Dis 2019 Apr 3. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice, University of Otago, Wellington, PO Box 7343, Wellington South 6242, New Zealand.

Background: Partner notification, follow-up and re-testing help to interrupt the transmission and health consequences of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like chlamydia and gonorrhoea, but for a range of reasons are not routinely undertaken in primary care. This pilot study aimed to test the acceptability and utility of strategies designed to facilitate the delivery of clinical best practice for patients diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhoea in primary care.

Methods: A non-randomised pilot intervention study with a historic control period was run over nine months in six primary health care clinics in Wellington, New Zealand. Read More

Genome Biol Evol 2019 Apr 5. Epub 2019 Apr 5.

Center for Research on Intracellular Bacteria, Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

The Rhabdochlamydiaceae family is one of the most widely distributed within the phylum Chlamydiae, but most of its members remain uncultivable. Rhabdochlamydia 16S rRNA was recently reported in more than 2% of 8534 pools of ticks from Switzerland. Shotgun metagenomics was performed on a pool of 5 female Ixodes ricinus ticks presenting a high concentration of chlamydial DNA, allowing the assembly of a high-quality draft genome. Read More

BMJ Open 2019 Apr 3;9(4):e028145. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

Department of Clinical Sciences, HIV/STI Reference Laboratory, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.

Objectives: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users are screened bi-annual for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). A novel device, called the Colli-Pee, collects first-void urine in a standardised way and the collector tube can be easily delivered by regular post to a certified laboratory. The aim of the study was a one-to-one comparison between the STI test results obtained with the urine collected in the clinic, versus urine collected at home in a real-life setting by Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) in Belgium. Read More

PLoS One 2019 4;14(4):e0213975. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM), University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.

The genital tract of African women has been shown to differ from what is currently accepted as 'normal', defined by a pH≤4.5 and lactobacilli-dominated microbiota. Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) from sub-Saharan Africa are at high risk for HIV, and we hypothesized that specific biological factors are likely to be influential. Read More

PLoS Pathog 2019 04 3;15(4):e1007698. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

Department of Global Health, Graduate Program in Pathobiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America.

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infection, responsible for millions of infections each year. Despite this high prevalence, the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of Chlamydia pathogenesis has been difficult due to limitations in genetic tools and its intracellular developmental cycle. Within a host epithelial cell, chlamydiae replicate within a vacuole called the inclusion. Read More

Emerg Med Clin North Am 2019 May;37(2):165-192

Prisma Health, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, 701 Grove Road, Greenville, SC 29605, USA. Electronic address:

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) continue to be underrecognized leading to devastating health and economic consequences. Emergency clinicians play an important role in diagnosing and managing STDs and in improving health care outcomes for both the patient and their partners. In addition, antibiotic resistance and emerging infections continue to challenge providers in clinical practice. Read More

Sex Health 2019 Apr 3. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

A 2006 Australian sexual health clinic audit of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) diagnosis rates found variability between doctors. Doctors were given audit feedback towards increasing diagnosis and reducing variability. The clinic implemented other improvements to increase capacity. Read More

Vestn Otorinolaringol 2019 ;84(1):55-59

Federal Agency of Scientific Organisations State Federal Budgetary Scientific Institution 'Federal Research Center 'Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center of Siberian Division of Russian Academy of Sciences' 'Scientific Research Institute for Medical Problems of the North', Krasnoyarsk, Russia, 660022.

Aim: To study the characteristics of health state in family-members of ENT-patients with identified Chlamydia infection.

Methods: We have examined 245 members of 87 families of otorhinolaryngological patients with verified (44 families) and without (44 families) Chlamydia infection. Laboratory methods of the research included the identification of the following types: Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydophila pneumoniae. Read More

Elife 2019 Apr 2;8. Epub 2019 Apr 2.

Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, United States.

During infection, pathogens are starved of essential nutrients such as iron and tryptophan by host immune effectors. Without conserved global stress response regulators, how the obligate intracellular bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis arrives at a physiologically similar 'persistent' state in response to starvation of either nutrient remains unclear. Here, we report on the iron-dependent regulation of the trpRBA tryptophan salvage pathway in C. Read More

Int J STD AIDS 2019 Mar 8;30(4):411-414. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Department of Sexual Health, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Wycombe General Hospital, Wycombe, UK.

The aim of this study is to compare the performance of the BD MAX™ Vaginal Panel (Becton, Dickinson and company, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA) in the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis (BV), candidiasis and trichomoniasis with current standard tests in a UK specialist sexual health service. Women with abnormal vaginal discharge attending the service who had not used douches or vaginal treatment in the preceding 48 hours had two vulvovaginal swabs taken: one for Chlamydia and gonorrhoea nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) and one for testing on the BD MAX™ Vaginal Panel on the BD MAX System. Speculum examination was then performed and vaginal swabs taken for vaginal pH, and microscopy of vaginal secretions: Gram stain for Candida and BV using the Hay-Ison score and wet-mount for clue cells and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV). Read More

BMJ Open 2019 Mar 30;9(3):e026297. Epub 2019 Mar 30.

Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

Objective: To assess the association between occurrence and timing of maternal self-reported genitourinary tract infection (urinary tract infections [UTIs] and/or sexually transmitted infection [STI]) and risk for gastroschisis in the offspring.

Design: Population-based case-control study.

Setting: National Birth Defects Prevention Study, a multisite study in the USA. Read More

J Sex Med 2019 Mar 26. Epub 2019 Mar 26.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; Research and Informatics Services Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.

Introduction: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common diagnosis in up to 50% of men with HIV and prescription of erectile dysfunction medication (EDM) has been variably associated with increased risk behaviors and acquisition of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Aim: We measured the association of EDM prescription with bacterial STI testing, STI infection and sexual behavior among men engaged in HIV care.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among HIV-infected men in care at an urban HIV clinic in Birmingham, Alabama between 2008 and 2016. Read More