Infecção materna por Chlamydia trachomatis associada a aborto fetal

The authors report and comment on a morphological and immunohistochemical study of feto-placentary tissues from an abortion associated with Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) infection of maternal cervical smears. Morphology of the placenta revealed gross and histological features compatible with an acute type of hematogenic infection. The latter was manifested as villitis, intervillitis, chorionic vasculitis and mild chorionamnionitis. The presence of structures compatible with chlamydial cells (amniotic epithelium, villous trophoblast, extravillous cytotrophoblast and decidual cells) was observed. The fetal pathology consisted of focal visceral necrosis suggestive of dissemination of infection from the placenta. Immunofluorescence assays were perfomed using a monoclonalantibody against Ct. These assays revealed positive applegreen fluorescence localized to intra-cellular structures with morphology of chlamydial bodies, at the sites of the lesions above described. Ct was detected in routine maternal cervical smears and was also isolated from this material in cell culture.