Careful with Chlamydia and Ectopic Pregnancies

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Edinburgh, concluded that women who have had chlamydia, are at high risk of ectopic pregnancies, because of lasting effect of the infection.

Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United Kingdom, and even if it is treatable, it often goes undetected since it can occur without symptoms.

This infection can cause infertility because it can lead to scarring and blockages in the Fallopian tubes.

The team of Edinburgh researchers found that women who had had the sexually transmitted infection were more likely to produce a certain protein in their Fallopian tubes, known as PROKR2.

The high production of this protein increases the odds for a pregnancy to be implanted in the Fallopian tubes.

According to the researchers, chlamydial infection linked to ectopic pregnancy causes much more subtle changes in the Fallopian tube, and leaves no evidence of severe scarring.

“We know that chlamydia is a major risk factor for ectopic pregnancy but until now we were unsure how the infection led to implantation of a pregnancy in the Fallopian tube,” said Dr Andrew Horne, of the University of Edinburgh's Center for Reproductive Biology.

“We hope that this new information allows health care providers to give women accurate information about risks following chlamydial infection and to support public health messages about the importance of safer sex and chlamydia testing.”

This is actually the first time that a study provides evidence of the way that chlamydia can increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy (occurring when an embryo implants outside the womb, in the Fallopian tube).

The study follows previous research, also at the University of Edinburgh, that showed that production of a similar protein increased the risks of smokers having an ectopic pregnancy.

The results of this study, funded by the Wellbeing of Women and the Medical Research Council, are published in the American Journal of Pathology.