Antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis heat shock proteins in women with tubal factor infertility are associated with prior infection by C. trachomatis but not by C. pneumoniae

The antibody response to heat shock proteins 60 and 10 were studied in 163 patients with tubal factor infertility and in 163 age-matched pregnant women. The associations of these antibodies with specific antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis and to Chlamydia pneumoniae as well as with antibodies to the common chlamydial lipopolysaccharide antigen were studied. Patients with tubal factor infertility had significantly higher frequencies and titres of all antibodies except to C. pneumoniae. In a logistic regression model an association was found between the prevalence of antibodies to the heat shock proteins and to C. trachomatis but no independent influence of antibodies to C. pneumoniae. No interaction between C. trachomatis and C. pneumoniae suggesting a synergistic effect was found although the heat shock proteins from these two organisms are immunologically similar. Antibodies to the chlamydial lipopolysaccharide also seemed to be related to C. trachomatis and not to C. pneumoniae in these women.