Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Asymptomatic Lymphogranuloma Venereum in Men who Have Sex with Men, United Kingdom

Abstract
We investigated prevalence of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) among men who have sex with men who were tested for chlamydia at 12 clinics in the United Kingdom during 10 weeks in 2012. Of 713 men positive for Chlamydia trachomatis, 66 (9%) had LGV serovars; 15 (27%) of 55 for whom data were available were asymptomatic.

Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the L1, L2, and L3 serovars of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT). An LGV outbreak among men who have sex with men (MSM) first reported in the Netherlands in 2003 has since spread across other industrialized countries (1). Cases are typically seen among white, HIV-positive MSM who report unprotected anal intercourse, other high-risk behaviors, and STI co-infection and who commonly have symptoms of proctitis (i.e., rectal pain, rectal discharge, bloody stools, constipation, and tenesmus) (2).

The United Kingdom now has the largest documented outbreak of LGV among MSM worldwide (3,4). Infection control in England has relied on CT DNA typing and treatment of symptomatic MSM who have CT-positive rectal infections and their contacts, as well as health promotion. These measures were supported by a large prospective study in the United Kingdom during 2006–2007 that reported <6% of LGV CT infections were asymptomatic (5). However, studies in the Netherlands and Germany, and a smaller UK study, have reported higher proportions (17%–53%) of asymptomatic infection (68). We reinvestigated the prevalence of asymptomatic LGV CT infection among MSM in the United Kingdom to assess whether it may be sustaining the current epidemic.

Below:  Figure. Data analysis flowchart for univariable and multivariable analyses of symptomatic lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) versus non-LGV Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection (Table 1) and asymptomatic LGV versus non-LGV CTinfection (Table 2) in men who have sex with men, United Kingdom*Patients from Glasgow were excluded from risk factor analyses because they do not routinely report to the Genitourinary Medicine Clinic Activity Dataset.



Full article at:   http://goo.gl/NJEfPA

By:   Cara Saxon, Gwenda Hughes, Catherine Ison, and for the UK LGV Case-Finding Group
Author affiliations: Author affiliation: Public Health England, London, UK
  


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