Chlamydia

I. Introduction.- 1. A Historical Outline.- Clinical Spectrum of Chlamydial Diseases.- Diagnosis of Chlamydial Infections.- Molecular Biology of Chlamydiae.- Landmarks in Chlamydiology.- The Future.- II. Microbiology, Immunopathology, and Animal Models.- 2. The Chlamydiae.- Classification.- Morphology and Replication.- Antigenic Composition.- Genetics.- 3. Pathology of Chlamydial Infections.- Cytology.- Histopathology.- 4. Immune Response.- Humoral and Local Immune Response.- Cell-Mediated Immune Response.- 5. Animal Models.- Guinea Pigs.- Mice.- Cats.- Monkeys.- Koalas.- III. Diagnosis.- 6. Diagnosis of Chlamydial Infections.- Isolation.- Host-Parasite Interactions.- Cell Lines and Comparison of Cell Treatments.- Tissue Culture Medium.- Centrifugation.- Vials/Microtiter Plates.- Sampling Sites.- Blind Passages.- Detection of Chlamydial Inclusions.- Incubation.- Sensitivity of Culture.- Factors Interfering with Isolation of Chlamydia trachomatis.- Toxic Sampling Swabs.- Inhibitory Body Fluid Constituents.- Toxic Glass and Plastic Wares.- Transport and Storage Conditions.- Microbial Superinfection.- Diagnosis of Chlamydial Infections by Direct Analyses of Clinical Samples.- Detection of Chlamydial Particles by Staining Procedures.- Giemsa Staining.- Iodine Staining.- Papanicolaou Staining.- Immunoperoxidase Staining.- Immunofluorescence Tests.- Detection of Chlamydial Antigen.- Enzyme Immunoassays.- Other Immunoassays.- Electron Microscopy.- Detection of Chlamydial Nucleic Acid.- General Remarks on the Clinical Value of "Rapid" Diagnostic Tests.- Serology.- Complement Fixation.- Microimmunofluorescence.- Inclusion Immunofluorescence.- Enzyme Immunoassays.- Other Tests.- Occurrence of Antichlamydial Antibodies, and General Remarks on the Interpretation of Serological Chlamydial Tests.- IV. Antibiosis and Vaccines.- 7. Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing.- 8. Susceptibility of Chlamydiae to Different Antimicrobials.- Overview.- Sulfonamides.- Penicillins.- Cephalosporins.- Tetracyclines.- Macrolides.- Rifampins.- Quinolones.- Clindamycin.- Some Drugs with Poor Activity against C. trachomatis.- 9. Body Fluid Constituents with Antichlamydial Activity.- 10. Persistence, Relapses, and Reinfections of Chlamydial Infections.- 11. Vaccines.- V. Chlamydia trachomatis Infections.- 12. Trachoma.- Epidemiology.- Immunopathology.- Staging and Clinical Diagnosis.- Clinical Findings.- Laboratory Diagnosis.- Prevention and Treatment.- 13. Genital and Associated Infections in the Male.- Nongonococcal Urethritis (NGU) and Postgonococcal Urethritis (PGU).- Epidemiology.- Diagnosis of Urethritis.- Clinical Findings.- Diagnosis of Chlamydial Urethritis.- Treatment.- Sequelae.- Epididymitis.- Epidemiology.- Clinical Findings.- Diagnosis.- Treatment.- Sequelae.- Prostatitis.- Proctitis.- 14. Genital Tract and Associated Infections in the Female.- Acute Urethral Syndrome.- Epidemiology.- Clinical Findings.- Diagnosis.- Therapy.- Vaginitis/Vaginosis.- Mucopurulent Cervicitis.- Epidemiology.- Diagnosis of Cervicitis.- Histopathology.- Diagnosis of Chlamydial Cervicitis.- Therapy.- Endometritis.- Epidemiology.- Histopathology.- Chlamydial Endometritis.- Correlation between Endometritis and Salpingitis.- Diagnosis.- Therapy.- Salpingitis.- Epidemiology.- Diagnosis of Salpingitis.- Clinical Findings.- Diagnosis of Chlamydial Salpingitis.- Therapy.- Sequelae.- Chronic or Subclinical Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.- 15. Infertility.- Epidemiology.- Pathogenetic Mechanisms.- Role of Chlamydia trachomatis Infections.- 16. Periappendicitis.- Epidemiology.- Clinical Findings.- Diagnosis.- Therapy.- 17. Peritonitis and Perihepatitis.- Epidemiology.- Immunopathology.- Diagnosis.- Therapy.- 18. Adverse Pregnancy Outcome.- 19. Postpartum Endometritis.- 20. Tubal (Ectopic) Pregnancy.- 21. Contraceptive Use and Infection by Chlamydia trachomatis.- 22. Concomitant Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Other Genital Pathogens, and Treatment of Mixed