Maternal Chlamydia trachomatis infection and fetal abortion

Os autores apresentam os dados obtidos pelo estudo morfol??gico i imunohistoqu??mico de aborto fetal em caso de infec????o clamidiana materna. Verificou-se na placenta a presen??a de les??es decorrentes de processo infeccioso agudo do tipo hematog??nico, caracterizado por vilosite, intervilosite, vascularite cori??nica e coriamnionite. Estruturas com morfologia de corpos clamidianos foram observadas em v??rios tipos de c??lulas placent??rias (epit??lio amni??tico, trofoblasto viloso, citotrofoblasto extraviloso e c??lula decidual). A patologia fetal consistiu de focos de necrose visceral sugestivos de dissemina????o da infec????o pela placenta. Atrav??s do uso de soro monoclonal contra a Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct), identificou-se positividade atrav??s de imunofluoresc??ncia em estruturas intracelulares exibindo morfologia compat??vel com a de inclus??es clamidianas. A presen??a de Ct foi observada no exame rotineiro do esfrega??o cervical materno e posteriormente isolada em cultura de c??lulas.The authors report and comment on a morphological and immunohistochemical study of feto-placentary tissues from an abortion associated with Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) infection of maternal cervical smears. Morphology of the placenta revealed gross and histological features compatible with an acute type of hematogenic infection. The latter was manifested as villitis, intervillitis, chorionic vasculitis and mild chorionamnionitis. The presence of structures compatible with chlamydial cells (amniotic epithelium, villous trophoblast, extravillous cytotrophoblast and decidual cells) was observed. The fetal pathology consisted of focal visceral necrosis suggestive of dissemination of infection from the placenta. Immunofluorescence assays were perfomed using a monoclonalantibody against Ct. These assays revealed positive applegreen fluorescence localized to intra-cellular structures with morphology of chlamydial bodies, at the sites of the lesions above described. Ct was detected in routine maternal cervical smears and was also isolated from this material in cell culture