Conjunctival Chlamydial 16S Ribosomal RNA Expression in Trachoma: Is Chlamydial Metabolic Activity Required for Disease to Develop?

摘要

Background. Nucleic acid amplification testing frequently detects conjunctival Chlamydia trachomatis infection in subjects without clinical signs of trachoma. It is unclear whether such subjects are actually infected. We measured chlamydial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) expression, a marker of chlamydial metabolic activity, in comparison with the quantitation of a chlamydial DNA target in subjects exposed to trachoma.