Resumen

MARTINEZ T., M. ANGÉLICA. MICROBIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF Chlamydia trachomatis: STATE OF THE PROBLEM. Rev. chil. infectol. [online]. 2001, vol.18, n.4, pp.275-284. ISSN 0716-1018.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0716-10182001000400006.

Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the most common bacterial sexually transmitted diseases world-wide. Most infections are asymptomatic in women leading to ascending infections and reproductive tract sequelae. Therefore, an effective control strategy of cervical infection with sensitive and specific diagnostic methods is necessary. Young asymptomatic men constitute another reservoir of chlamydial infection. The collection of specimens in this group need to be improved by a less intensive procedure than urethral swabbing. Nucleic acid amplification methods (NAAM) have demonstrated to accurately diagnose chlamydial infections in first-void urine samples in men. The main factor affecting the sensitivity of the diagnosis of C. trachomatis is the cellular adequacy of the clinical samples, which has a more negative effect on culture and immunological diagnostic methods than on NAAM, which are more sensitive. Cell culture has been considered to be the "gold standard" of the diagnosis in the past, but due it less sensitivity than NAAM, an "expanded gold standard" has been created for the evaluation of new diagnostic procedures, and rendered necessary to confirm the positive results of all non culture diagnostic tests

Palabras clave : Chlamydia trachomatis; Diagnostic.