Frequent association of chlamydial infection with Reiter's syndrome.

The incidence of infection with Chlamydia trachomatis in 113 men with Reiter's syndrome was investigated. Chlamydiae were isolated from urethral specimens from 40 (39%) of 103 patients and from 36 (69%) of 52 of these men who had signs of urogenital inflammation at the time of examination. Chlamydial antibodies (titers, > or = 8) were detected in sera from 66 (63%) of 104 patients by the complement-fixation test and in sera from 79 (87%) of 91 by a single-antigen indirect immunofluorescence test. Fluorescent chlamydial antibodies were found with equal frequencies in sera from patients whose cultures were negative and sera from patients whose cultures were positive, but the geometric mean titer was higher for the latter group. The results suggest that Reiter's syndrome is frequently associated with cultural and/or serologic evidence of genital infection with C. trachomatis.