Original paper
Molecular and biological criteria of activity of the infectious process in Chlamydia infection

Aim: The study aims to evaluate molecular and biological criteria of activity of the infectious process in various variants of Chlamydia infection.
Material and methods: Blood, and scrapings from the urethra and cervical canal served as the study material. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), direct reaction of immune fluorescence, immunoenzymatic analysis and light microscopy were applied in the study.
Results: Determination of Chlamydia trachomatis DNA concentration serves as an important additional diagnostic technique that enables one to evaluate activity rate of the infectious process according to its character, distribution, its combination with other causative agents of urogenital pathology, and the presence of complicated forms of the disease (sterility, Chlamydia-induced arthropathy).
Conclusions: The established ranges of fluctuation of Chlamydia DNA will enable us to add to the list of clinical and laboratory criteria for evaluation of the activity rate of the infectious process, to reconsider indications for administration of rational antibiotic therapy in categories of patients with different course and activity rate of the disease, to adequately schedule monitoring of DNA concentration within the course of therapy, and to predict the outcome (elimination, persistence) of the disease in various variants of clamidiosis.