Abstract:

Shao Lili, Zhan Xiaofei, Qi Manli, Wang Huiping, Wang Shuchun, Liu Quanzhong Department of Dermatology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital/ Tianjin Institute of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Tianjin 300052, China （Shao LL, Qi ML, Wang HP, Wang SC, Liu QZ）; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Chongqing Three Gorges Central Hospital, Chongqing 404000, China （Zhan XF） Corresponding author: Liu Quanzhong, Email: liuquanzhong@medmail.com.cn 【Abstract】 Objective To assess efficacy of minocycline for the treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis （C.t） urogenital infection by using different standards. Methods Clinical data were collected from patients with C.t urogenital infection confirmed based on medical history, clinical symptoms and pathological findings in STD clinics of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital between 2006 and 2010, and retrospectively analyzed. Patients were treated with minocycline and then followed up once a month for at least 3 times. Cure was defined as disappearance of clinical symptoms （clinical standard） or absence of C.t in male urethral or female cervical swab samples as shown by indirect immunofluorescence assay （pathogenic standard） at three follow?up visits. Both differences and associations were assessed between cure rates calculated according to the two standards. Results From 2006 to 2010, a total of 2 638 patients diagnosed with C.t urogenital infection were treated with oral minocycline, and 924 completed three times of follow?up. Of the 924 patients, 784 （84.85%） were considered to be cured based on the clinical standard, and the clinical cure rate was significantly higher than the pathogen clearance rate at the first （69.16%［639/924］, χ2 = 58.565, P < 0.001）, second （63.53%［587/924］, χ2 = 111.841, P < 0.001） and third （62.88%［581/924］, χ2 = 109.308, P < 0.001） follow?up visits. Moreover, the first pathogen clearance rate was significantly higher than the second pathogen clearance rate （χ2 = 6.553, P < 0.05）, but no significant difference was observed between the second and third pathogen clearance rates （χ2 = 0.084, P > 0.05）. There were no evident associations between the clinical cure rate and the first, second or third pathogen clearance rate （all rc c < 0.1）. Conclusion The therapeutic effect of minocycline on C.t urogenital infection may be overestimated according to the disappearance of symptoms, and in order to objectively evaluate it, pathogenic detection should be carried out once a month for at least 2 times after treatment.