i-Predict: Prevention of Diseases Induced by Chlamydia trachomatis

About

i-Predict is a multicentric controlled randomized trial on genital infection with Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct), which is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI), especially among young women. Mostly asymptomatic, this infection can be responsible, if untreated, for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and thereafter for tubal factor infertility and ectopic pregnancy. Recent data over the past ten years suggest that Ct infections are not yet controlled in Europe. In France, screening has been recommended to young sexually active women when visiting specific settings such as STI clinics since 2003. As opposed to some countries in Europe, screening is not systematic. This leaves an opportunity to conduct a trial to evaluate the efficacy of systematic screening and treatment in preventing PID and to further document key characteristics of Ct natural history and progression to PID. We will conduct a randomized prevention trial in 4000 female students aged 18-24 years old of the Universities participating in the i-Share student cohort to determine whether systematic screening and treatment of young women for genital Ct infection reduces the incidence of PID over 24 months. Inclusions have started since early January 2017. An ancillary project to investigate the interaction between vaginal microbiota, immunogenetics and Ct susceptibility will be branched to the trial (collaboration with the Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine). Our hypothesis is that the composition of the vaginal microbiota, and potentially its disruption could lead to an increased susceptibility to Ct infection, independently of the immunogenetics. If such a role could be highlighted, a change to the treatment and prevention guidelines for Ct and STI in general would be warranted.

Keywords: Chlamydia trachomatis, Infection, Clearance, Reinfection, Screening, Pelvic inflammatory disease, Prevention, Students, Immunogenetics, Natural course of infection

 

More information can be found here:

• http://www.i-share.fr/actualite/i-predict
• http://www.uvsq.fr/i-predict-la-nouvelle-etude-qui-s-interesse-a-chlamydia-386304.kjsp
• http://filuns.unice.fr/fil/service-communication/actualites/lancement-de-letude-i-predict-sur-les-infections-a-chlamydia/@@article_view#.WIct3VyQZCc
• https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02904811