A COLPOSCOPIC AND HISTOLOGICAL STUDY OF EXPERIMENTAL CHLAMYDIAL CERVICITIS IN MARMOSETS

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 65  (1) , 59-65
Abstract
Marmosets (14) were inoculated intravaginally with Chlamydia trachomatis; the development of genital tract disease was assessed microbiologically, by colposcopic examination of the cervical and vaginal mucosa and by cytological and histological examination of biopsy and autopsy specimens. Eight animals had infections which persisted microbiologically for 2-5 wk; 6 animals, 3 of which had been inoculated on multiple occasions in a previous study, apparently eliminated their infection within 1 wk of inoculation. Colposcopic examination showed that 4 of the 8 infected animals developed acute cervicitis characterized by erythema, occasional slight edema and the presence of cloudy or purulent cervical mucus. The other 4 infected animals showed minimal signs of cervical inflammation. Of the 6 animals which rapidly cleared their infections, 3 developed slight cervical inflammation characterized by erythema and cloudy cervical mucus during the fortnight after inoculation. Six control animals inoculated with medium displayed minimal cervical changes. The diagnosis of acute cervicitis in the infected animals was confirmed by examination of histological sections and cervical smears, which revealed the presence of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, with lymphocytes occasionally being seen. Although inflammatory changes were occasionally noted in specimens from control animals, the changes were relatively mild and occurred at a later time than those seen in infected animals. Intracytoplasmic chlamydial inclusions in epithelial cells were not detected in any of the specimens studied. Examination of genital tract tissue obtained at autopsy from 5 inoculated animals generally showed inflammation of the cervix and vagina; in only 1 of these animals was there evidence of endometritis and salpingitis. This study confirms the earlier finding that marmosets are susceptible to genital tract infection with C. trachomatis and shows there are many similarities between the experimental model and naturally occurring human disease.