Chlamydia trachomatis genotypes among men who have sex with men in Durban, South Africa

Abstract

Introduction: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at an increased risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis). In South Africa, the genotypic diversity of C. trachomatis is understudied, especially among this subpopulation. This study aims to describe the genotypic diversity of C. trachomatis in a population of MSM from Durban, South Africa.

Methodology: In this study, a total of 200 urine samples collected from sexually active MSM in Durban were analysed for the presence
of C. trachomatis using the Applied BiosystemsTM TaqMan^® Assay. The genotyping assay was performed on all positive samples for C. trachomatis by amplification and restriction digestion of the OmpA gene with AluI, DdeI, and HinfI.

Results: The prevalence of C. trachomatis in the study population was 6% (12/200). The following factors were significantly associated with testing positive for C. trachomatis: age, education level, partner having other partners, sex practices, condom use, and circumcision status (p < 0.05). The Omp1 gene was amplified in 10/12 samples. Genotype E was the most prevalent genotype in 60% (6/10) of the men infected with C. trachomatis. The remaining genotypes detected were genotype I (3/10; 30%) and genotype J (1/10; 10%).

Conclusion: This study describes the genotypic diversity of C. trachomatis associated with South African MSM. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique revealed the presence of only three genotypes (E, I, and J) circulating in the MSM population of the study area.