Provision of a chlamydial culture service to a sexually transmitted diseases clinic.

Urethral specimens from 215 men were inoculated on to McCoy cell cultures, both at the local laboratory and at a central reference laboratory, Chlamydia trachomatis was isolated from 58 (28%) patients; 12 of these isolates were, however, obtained only at the local laboratory. The results show the feasibility and convenience of a central laboratory supplying a peripheral laboratory with uninoculated prepared cell cultures. Such a service is not only more cost effective but obviates the problems of transporting specimens to a central laboratory.