11 January 2011

Scientists explain link between chlamydia and ectopic pregnancy

Women who have had chlamydia are at greater risk of having an ectopic pregnancy because of a long-lasting effect of the infection, according to a study part-funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC).

The study provides evidence for the first time of how chlamydia can increase the risk of an ectopic pregnancy – which occurs when an embryo implants outside the womb, in the Fallopian tube.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh, supported by a £1m MRC grant, found that women who had had the sexually transmitted infection were more likely to produce a particular protein in their Fallopian tubes. Increased production of this protein – known as PROKR2 – makes an embryo more likely to implant in the Fallopian tube.

The study follows on from earlier research which showed that production of a similar protein increased the likelihood of smokers having an ectopic pregnancy.

 Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the UK. It can be treated but often goes undiagnosed because it can occur without symptoms. The infection is well known to cause infertility as it can lead to scarring and blockages in the Fallopian tube. This latest research showed, however, that chlamydial infection linked to ectopic pregnancy caused much more subtle changes in the Fallopian tube, without evidence of severe scarring.

 Dr Andrew Horne, of the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Reproductive Biology, said:
“We know that chlamydia is a major risk factor for ectopic pregnancy but until now we were unsure how the infection led to implantation of a pregnancy in the Fallopian tube. We hope that this new information allows health care providers to give women accurate information about risks following chlamydial infection and to support public health messages about the importance of safer sex and chlamydia testing.”

The study, published in the American Journal of Pathology, was funded by the Wellbeing of Women and the Medical Research Council.

By funding basic research such as this, the MRC aims to understand the origins of reproductive health disorders, such as ectopic pregnancies, and to bring fundamental research findings from the laboratory bench to the patient bedside more quickly.
e hope that it will stimulate both clinical and fundamental research into HCV infection in the UK and form the basis for many future studies.”

About the Medical Research Foundation

The Medical Research Foundation is an independent registered charity established by the Medical Research Council (MRC). The Medical Research Foundation receives legacies and donations from the giving public.

The aims of the Medical Research Foundation are to promote medical research anywhere in the world, and in particular, to support research training, public engagement with research and the dissemination of research results for the improvement of human health. The Medical Research Foundation aims to support research that complements and extends that supported by the MRC. The Medical Research Foundation’s trustees recently granted an award to Dr John MacLauchlan and colleagues to establish a national HCV resource.

The name used to refer to the ‘Trust Funds administered in connection with the Medical
For almost 100 years the Medical Research Council has improved the health of people in the UK and around the world by supporting the highest quality science. The MRC invests in world-class scientists. It has produced 29 Nobel Prize winners and sustains a flourishing environment for internationally recognised research. The MRC focuses on making an impact and provides the financial muscle and scientific expertise behind medical breakthroughs, including one of the first antibiotics penicillin, the structure of DNA and the lethal link between smoking and cancer. Today MRC funded scientists tackle research into the major health challenges of the 21st century.

University of Glasgow

Founded in 1451, the University of Glasgow is one of the top 100 universities in the world with an international reputation for its research and teaching and it plays an important role in the cultural and commercial life of the country. The University is a major research powerhouse, with annual research contract income in the top ten of UK universities.