Comparison of chlamydial culture with Chlamydiazyme assay during erythromycin PCE treatment of Chlamydia genital infections.

We compared chlamydial culture with the chlamydial antigen detection enzyme immunoassay system (Chlamydiazyme, Abbott Diagnostic Products; Abbott Park, IL) during treatment of Chlamydia genital infections. Participants received 333 mg of erythromycin PCE (Abbott Laboratories; Abbott Park, IL) 3 times per day for 7 days. On days 0, 3, 7, and 14, chlamydial cultures were positive in 30/30 (100%), 5/29 (17.2%), 0/27, and 0/25 participants, respectively. Concurrent Chlamydiazyme assays were positive in 30/30 (100%), 11/30 (37%), 1/28 (4%), and 0/25 participants. Twenty-eight of 28 persons who received erythromycin PCE for at least 3 days had negative test results for both chlamydial culture and Chlamydiazyme at their last clinic visit. Chlamydiazyme assay tended to remain positive longer than chlamydial culture during treatment, but 7 days after therapy was completed, no Chlamydia trachomatis antigens were detectable by this assay. Erythromycin PCE was well tolerated and rapidly eliminated Chlamydia genital infections in 83% of persons showing negative cultures by the third day of therapy.