Abstract
BackgroundGenovar distributions of Chlamydia trachomatis based on ompA typing differ between men who have sex with men (MSM) and heterosexuals. We investigated clonal relationships using a high resolution typing method to characterize C. trachomatis types in these two risk groups.Methods C. trachomatis positive samples were collected at the STI outpatient clinic in Amsterdam between 2008 and 2010 and genotyped by multilocus sequence typing. Clusters were assigned using minimum spanning trees and these were combined with epidemiological data of the hosts.ResultsWe typed 526 C. trachomatis positive samples: 270 from MSM and 256 from heterosexuals. Eight clusters, containing 10–128 samples were identified of which 4 consisted of samples from MSM (90%–100%), with genovars D, G, J, and L2b. The other 4 clusters consisted mainly of samples from heterosexuals (87%–100%) with genovars D, E, F, I, and J. Genetic diversity was much lower in the MSM clusters than in heterosexual clusters. Significant differences in number of sexual partners and HIV-serostatus were observed for MSM–associated clusters.Conclusions C. trachomatis transmission patterns among MSM and heterosexuals were largely distinct. We hypothesize that these differences are due to sexual host behavior, but bacterial factors may play a role as well.
Highlights
Chlamydia trachomatis propagates as an obligate intracellular pathogen that is transmitted sexually and often causes asymptomatic infections
C. trachomatis is endemic in the general population, but the majority of infections occur within transmission networks of specific risk groups, such as heterosexual adolescents, young adults, and men who have sex with men (MSM) [1]
The distribution among MSM appears to be different; genovars D, G, and J comprise about 85% of C. trachomatis infections among MSM according to a limited number of studies [5,7]
Summary
Chlamydia trachomatis propagates as an obligate intracellular pathogen that is transmitted sexually and often causes asymptomatic infections. C. trachomatis is endemic in the general population, but the majority of infections occur within transmission networks of specific risk groups, such as heterosexual adolescents, young adults, and men who have sex with men (MSM) [1]. Low resolution typing methods, based on the ompA gene, showed that multiple genovars circulate. The distribution among MSM appears to be different; genovars D, G, and J comprise about 85% of C. trachomatis infections among MSM according to a limited number of studies [5,7]. Genovar distributions of Chlamydia trachomatis based on ompA typing differ between men who have sex with men (MSM) and heterosexuals. We investigated clonal relationships using a high resolution typing method to characterize C. trachomatis types in these two risk groups
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