Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in eye specimens of patients suspected of having viral keratitis: a cross-sectional study

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) is a major global health concern, recognized among the leading bacterial causes of sexually transmitted infections and implicated in ocular diseases. Its association with chronic follicular conjunctivitis and severe papillary inflammation underscore...

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Main Authors: Arash Letafati, Parsa Ghafari, Niloofar Mobarezpour, Mohammad Haddadi, Mersedeh Arbabinia, Zahra Rostami, Yasamin Meamarzadegan, Aniseh Dadgar, Zahra Tayebi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:New Microbes and New Infections
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2052297525000435
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author Arash Letafati
Parsa Ghafari
Niloofar Mobarezpour
Mohammad Haddadi
Mersedeh Arbabinia
Zahra Rostami
Yasamin Meamarzadegan
Aniseh Dadgar
Zahra Tayebi
author_facet Arash Letafati
Parsa Ghafari
Niloofar Mobarezpour
Mohammad Haddadi
Mersedeh Arbabinia
Zahra Rostami
Yasamin Meamarzadegan
Aniseh Dadgar
Zahra Tayebi
author_sort Arash Letafati
collection DOAJ
description Background: Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) is a major global health concern, recognized among the leading bacterial causes of sexually transmitted infections and implicated in ocular diseases. Its association with chronic follicular conjunctivitis and severe papillary inflammation underscores the importance of accurate identification in diagnosing trachoma. This study evaluated the prevalence of C. trachomatis in patients suspected to viral keratitis referred to the lab and comparing four different eye specimen types. Methods: This cross-sectional study (2020–2022) involved 161 suspected to viral keratitis patients referred to thet lab and checked for viral and bacterial infections (49.1 % female, 50.9 % male) at Tehran University's Clinical Virology Research Center. Tear fluid, corneal epithelium, and aqueous/vitreous humor samples were analyzed using the Qiagen Mini Blood Kit for DNA extraction and Multiplex Real-Time PCR with the Fast-track diagnostics/SIEMENS eye kit. C. trachomatis was detected in 14 patients (8.7 %), who showed clinical features such as follicular conjunctivitis, corneal neovascularization, epithelial erosions, and conjunctival scarring. Details on pathology, disease course, treatments, and outcomes are provided in. Conclusions: This study highlights the prevalence of C. trachomatis in suspected keratitis cases, offering a comparative view across different eye specimen types. Accurate detection using molecular assays supports timely intervention and targeted treatment, improving diagnostic precision and patient outcomes.
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spelling doaj-art-fe7b978186aa40fe8c7c054a8ba205cd2025-08-20T03:38:47ZengElsevierNew Microbes and New Infections2052-29752025-08-016610160410.1016/j.nmni.2025.101604Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in eye specimens of patients suspected of having viral keratitis: a cross-sectional studyArash Letafati0Parsa Ghafari1Niloofar Mobarezpour2Mohammad Haddadi3Mersedeh Arbabinia4Zahra Rostami5Yasamin Meamarzadegan6Aniseh Dadgar7Zahra Tayebi8Department of Virology, Faculty of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Research Center for Clinical Virology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Corresponding author. Department of Virology, Faculty of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.Research Center for Clinical Virology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranPPD Tuberculin Department, Razi Vaccine & Serum Research Institute, Karaj, IranStudent Scientific Research Center (SSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranStudent Scientific Research Center (SSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranStudent Scientific Research Center (SSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranResearch Center for Clinical Virology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranResearch Center for Clinical Virology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Corresponding author.Background: Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) is a major global health concern, recognized among the leading bacterial causes of sexually transmitted infections and implicated in ocular diseases. Its association with chronic follicular conjunctivitis and severe papillary inflammation underscores the importance of accurate identification in diagnosing trachoma. This study evaluated the prevalence of C. trachomatis in patients suspected to viral keratitis referred to the lab and comparing four different eye specimen types. Methods: This cross-sectional study (2020–2022) involved 161 suspected to viral keratitis patients referred to thet lab and checked for viral and bacterial infections (49.1 % female, 50.9 % male) at Tehran University's Clinical Virology Research Center. Tear fluid, corneal epithelium, and aqueous/vitreous humor samples were analyzed using the Qiagen Mini Blood Kit for DNA extraction and Multiplex Real-Time PCR with the Fast-track diagnostics/SIEMENS eye kit. C. trachomatis was detected in 14 patients (8.7 %), who showed clinical features such as follicular conjunctivitis, corneal neovascularization, epithelial erosions, and conjunctival scarring. Details on pathology, disease course, treatments, and outcomes are provided in. Conclusions: This study highlights the prevalence of C. trachomatis in suspected keratitis cases, offering a comparative view across different eye specimen types. Accurate detection using molecular assays supports timely intervention and targeted treatment, improving diagnostic precision and patient outcomes.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2052297525000435Chlamydia trachomatisKeratitisPrevalenceOcular infection
spellingShingle Arash Letafati
Parsa Ghafari
Niloofar Mobarezpour
Mohammad Haddadi
Mersedeh Arbabinia
Zahra Rostami
Yasamin Meamarzadegan
Aniseh Dadgar
Zahra Tayebi
Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in eye specimens of patients suspected of having viral keratitis: a cross-sectional study
New Microbes and New Infections
Chlamydia trachomatis
Keratitis
Prevalence
Ocular infection
title Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in eye specimens of patients suspected of having viral keratitis: a cross-sectional study
title_full Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in eye specimens of patients suspected of having viral keratitis: a cross-sectional study
title_fullStr Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in eye specimens of patients suspected of having viral keratitis: a cross-sectional study
title_full_unstemmed Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in eye specimens of patients suspected of having viral keratitis: a cross-sectional study
title_short Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis in eye specimens of patients suspected of having viral keratitis: a cross-sectional study
title_sort prevalence of chlamydia trachomatis in eye specimens of patients suspected of having viral keratitis a cross sectional study
topic Chlamydia trachomatis
Keratitis
Prevalence
Ocular infection
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2052297525000435
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