The molecular epidemiology of Chlamydia trachomatis (genotypes in comparison with disease presentations in patients in Jersey)

The Chlamydiaceae are a family of small obligate intracellular bacteria, parasitic to eukaryotic cells that replicate inside a vacuole known as an inclusion. Chlamydia trachomatis is the causative agent of trachoma, inclusion conjunctivitis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections including Lymphogranuloma venereum. Ctrachomatis positive clinical samples were identified via the Becton Dickinson (BD) Probe Tech method in Jersey and via the Roche Cobas Taqman method in Southampton. Details of all samples were anonymised. Amplification of clinical samples template DNA for visualisation was completed by PCR. All sample batches received from Jersey were screened for Ctrachomatis positivity using ompA specific primers (Ngandjio et al./ 2003) (Jurstrand et al./ 2001). Positive samples were amplified to give product sufficient for gel extraction and automated DNA sequencing to confirm serovar genotyping. A new variant of Ctrachomatis with a deletion in the cryptic plasmid has been detected in Sweden, following a 25% decrease in Ctrachomatis infections between November 2005 and August 2006 in Halland county. Part of the cryptic plasmid has been already sequenced from the variant strain. There is a deletion of 377 base pairs in the target area for the Abbott and Roche Ctrachomatis NAAT tests. This deletion does not affect Beckton Dickinson Ctrachomatistest. The cryptic plasmid deletion was detected using specific primers that had been mapped either side of the deletion (Ripa and Nilsson, 2006).