DOES PREVIOUS CHLAMYDIA-TRACHOMATIS INFECTION INFLUENCE THE PREGNANCY RATE OF INVITRO FERTILIZATION AND EMBRYO REPLACEMENT

The association between previous chlamydial infection, as reflected by the presence of chlamydial antibodies (specific serum immunoglobulin G antibodies with a titer ≥32) and pregnancy outcome after in vitro fertilization and embryo replacement was studied in 121 infertile women with tubal damage. The antibody prevalence was 74.4%; the overall pregnancy rate was 26.4%. No difference in seropositivity was detected between those who became pregnant and those who did not (71.9% versus 75.3%). The geometric mean titers were also similar in the two groups. Even after subdivision of the cases into primary or repeated in vitro fertilization attempts, or after stratification of the material according to the number of embryos used for replacement, there was no correlation between chlamydial antibodies and pregnancy rate. Thus, past infection with Chlamydia trachomatis did not influence the outcome of in vitro fertilization and embryo replacement treatment in this study. © 1990.