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ABSTRACT:
European Respiratory Journal 2004; 24:745-749
Copyright ©ERS Journals Ltd 2004
Increased frequency of detection of Chlamydophila pneumoniae in asthma
G.L. Biscione1, J. Corne1, A.J. Chauhan1 and S.L. Johnston1,2
1 University Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, and 2 Dept
of Respiratory Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College
London, London, UK.
Correspondence: G.L. Biscione, Centre of Pulmonary Medicine and Rehabilitation,
S. Raffaele Hospital (Tosinvest Sanitá), Via Dei Laghi km 19, 600, 00049-Velletri,
Rome, Italy. Fax: 39 069636715. E-mail: dr_biscione@yahoo.it
Keywords: Asthma, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, RT-PCR
Received: April 26, 2004
Accepted August 15, 2004
This study received funding from the National Asthma Campaign (Grant 201 to
S.L. Johnson) and both J. Corne and A.J. Chauhan were Medical Research Council,
UK Clinical Training Fellows.
Previous studies have suggested that chronic Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection
may play a role in the pathogenesis of asthma. However, most studies have been
based on serology and have been unable to differentiate acute from chronic infection.
The present authors assessed the presence of acute and chronic C. pneumoniae
infection in 74 spouse pairs, each consisting of one atopic asthmatic and one
nonatopic nonasthmatic. Nasal secretions were sampled every 2 weeks from October
to December and actively replicating C. pneumoniae infection was detected by
specific RT-PCR.
C. pneumoniae was detected in 31 out of 709 samples analysed, 23 (6.4%) were
positive in 362 samples from asthmatic participants and in eight out of 347
(2.3%) samples from their normal spouses (with a significant difference in infection
rates, 95% confidence interval: 4.2%, 1.2–7.2%). A total of 16 (22%) asthmatic
and seven (9%) normal participants were positive at least once during the study.
These data confirm that Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection is detected more
frequently among asthmatic participants than normal control participants. Further
studies are required to confirm whether infections are also present in the lower
airway and whether Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection plays a role in disease
pathogenesis.
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