HSV-2 infection may raise risk for pelvic inflammatory disease.(Gynecology)

WASHINGTON -- Herpes simplex virus type 2 infection in women may be associated with an increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease, Dr. Thomas L. Cherpes reported in a poster at the annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

The role of chronic genital viral infections in the pathogenesis of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) may be more significant than currently recognized, although no etiologic link has as yet been defined, noted Dr. Cherpes and his associates at the University of Pittsburgh.

A total of 725 nonpregnant women aged 15-30 years who were either diagnosed with a lower bacterial genital tract infection (purulent cervical discharge, untreated Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Chlamydia trachomatis infection, symptomatic bacterial vaginosis) or were at risk for such an infection (sexual contact with a male diagnosed with gonorrheal, chlamydial, or nongonococcal urethritis) were recruited from sexually transmitted disease clinics and gynecology clinics. Of those, 43% (309) were seropositive for herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2).

Of the 86 women with acute endometritis, 55% (47) were HSV-2 seropositive, as were 51% (70) of the 136 women found to have plasma cell endometritis. Acute endometritis was independently associated with black race (odds ratio 1.7) as well as infections with C. trachomatis (3.3), N. gonorrhoeae (2.8), Trichomonas vaginalis (2.4), and HSV-2 (2.2). Black race also was associated with plasma cell endometritis (odds ratio 1.9), but HSV-2 was the only reproductive tract infection significantly associated with that condition (odds ratio 1.5), they reported. ...