Chlamydia infection

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Diagnosis

History and Symptoms | Physical Examination | Staging | Laboratory tests | Electrocardiogram | X Rays | CT | MRI Echocardiography or Ultrasound | Other images | Alternative diagnostics

Treatment

Medical therapy | Surgical options | Primary prevention | Secondary prevention | Financial costs | Future therapies

Treatment

Chlamydia trachomatis inclusion bodies (brown) in a McCoy cell culture.

C. trachomatis infection can be effectively cured with antibiotics once it is detected. Current Centers for Disease Control guidelines provide for the following treatments:

• Azithromycin 1 gram oral as a single dose, or
• Doxycycline 100 milligrams twice daily for seven days.
• Tetracycline
• Erythromycin

Untested Treatments

• Ciprofloxacin 500 milligrams twice daily for 3 days. (Although this is not an approved method of treatment, as it is shown to be ineffective and may simply delay symptoms.)

β-lactams are not suitable drugs for the treatment of chlamydia. While they have the ability to halt growth of the organism (i.e. are microbistatic), these antibiotics do not eliminate the bacteria. Once treatment is stopped, the bacteria will begin to grow once more. (See below for Persistence.)

Diseases caused by Chlamydia trachomatis

Conjunctivitis due to chlamydia.

Chlamydia trachomatis can cause the following conditions:

• Cervicitis
• Conjunctivitis
• Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome
• Lymphogranuloma venereum
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Pneumonia in infants
• Reactive arthritis
• Urethritis
• Rectal infection (proctitis)
• Prostatitis
• Ectopic pregnancy

Recent genetic discoveries

Recent phylogenetic studies have revealed that chlamydia shares a common ancestor with modern plants, and retains unusual plant-like traits (both genetically and physiologically). In particular, the enzyme L,L-diaminopimelate aminotransferase, which is related to lysine production in plants, is also linked with the construction of chlamydia's cell wall. The genetic encoding for the enzymes is remarkably similar in plants and chlamydia, demonstrating a close common ancestry. This unexpected discovery may help scientists develop new treatment avenues: if scientists could find a safe and effective inhibitor of L,L-diaminopimelate aminotransferase, they might have a highly effective and extremely specific new antibiotic against chlamydia.

External links

• "Chlamydia: Questions and Answers" from Planned Parenthood
• NetDoctor Chlamydia fact sheet
• Links to chlamydia pictures at University of Iowa
• Chlamydiae.com - Information for patients, as well as for doctors and researchers about Chlamydial infections. Note: Patient info is in multiple languages.

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