Asthma

Research

(2010) Occurrence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Chlamydia pneumoniae in paediatric respiratory infections

W.C. Webley*, Y. Tilahun*, K. Lay*, K. Patel*, E.S. Stuart*, C. Andrzejewski# and P.S. Salva"

ABSTRACT: An emerging body of evidence suggests that half of asthma in both children and adults is associated with chronic lung infection. The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency of viable Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cp) and C. trachomatis (Ct) in the respiratory tracts of paediatric patients with chronic respiratory diseases.

Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples obtained from 182 children undergoing bronchoscopy for clinical reasons were assayed using PCR analysis, in vitro tissue culture and immunofluorescence staining for the presence of Cp and Ct.

Chlamydia-specific DNA was detected by PCR in 124 (68%) out of 182 patients; 79 were positive for Cp, 77 positive for Ct and 32 for both organisms; 75 patients had cultivable Chlamydia. Ct DNA prevalence decreased, whereas Cp positivity generally increased with age. A total of 59 out of 128 asthma patients and 16 out of 54 nonasthmatics were Chlamydia culture positive. When the patients were divided into inflammatory versus noninflammatory airway disease, there were 69 (46%) out of 150 and six (18%) out of 32 BALF samples with cultivable Chlamydia, respectively.

Viable Chlamydia pneumoniae and Chlamydia trachomatis occur frequently in children with chronic respiratory diseases and may be more prevalent in asthma patients. To the current authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of viable Chlamydia trachomatis in the lungs of children.
AFFILIATIONS
*Dept of Microbiology, University of
Massachusetts, Amherst,
#Depts of Pathology, and
"Paediatric Pulmonology, Baystate
Medical Center, Springfield, MA, USA

(2010) Infectious Chlamydia pneumoniae is Associated With Elevated Interleukin-8 and Airway Neutrophilia in Children With Refractory Asthma

Katir K. Patel, MS,* Alfin G. Vicencio, MD,† Zhongfang Du, MD,† Kalliope Tsirilakis, MD,† Paul S. Salva, MD, PhD,‡ and Wilmore C. Webley, PhD*

Background: Neutrophilic asthma is thought to be less responsive than eosinophilic asthma to anti-inflammatory therapies including corticosteroids. Chlamydia pneumoniae has been implicated in asthma, possibly by induction of interleukin (IL-8). We hypothesized that IL-8 is increased in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from children with asthma and C. pneumoniae..

Secondary outcome of a Pilot Randomized study of Azithromycin Treatment for Asthma

David L. Hahn, Mary Beth Plane, Olaimatu S. Mahdi, Gerald I. Byrne

The respiratory pathogen Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) produces acute and chronic lung infections and is associated with asthma. Evidence for effectiveness of antichlamydial antibiotics of performing in asthma clinical trial in practice settings where most asthma is encountered and managed. The secondary objectives were to investigate (1) wheter C. pneumoniae serology would be related to outcomes. This report presents the secondary results.

The Bronchial Lavage of Pediatric Patients with Asthma Contains Infectious Chlamydia

Wilmore C. Webley, Paul S. Salva, Chester Andrzejewski, Francis Cirino, Corrie A. West, Yaphet Tilahun, and Elizabeth S. Stuart

Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; and Department of Pathology and Pediatric Pulmonology, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield Massachusetts.

Increased frequency of detection of Chlamydophila pneumoniae in asthma

G.L. Biscione, J. Corne, A.J. Chauhan and S.L. Johnston

University Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, and Dept of Respiratory Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK.

David L. Hahn and Mary Beth Plane
Feasibility of a Practical Clinical Trial for Asthma Conducted in Primary Care
J. Am. Board Fam. Pract., May 2004; 17: 190 - 195.

Azithromycin Improves Asthma Symptoms in Adults 3 months after treatment Hahn DL M.B. Plane Dean Medical Center, Madison, WI; Dept Fam Med, U Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, WI American Thoracic Society Abstracts of the 2004 International Conference.

(Please note the following isn't the full article but a scanned in abstract)

Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn)-Specific IgA antibody Level Predicts Subsequent Asthma Symptom Severity. Hahn DL M.B. Plane Dean Medical Center, Madison, WI; Dept Fam Med, U. Wisconsin Medical School, Dept Mol Sci U Tennessee Health Sci Cir, Memphis Tn. Abstracts of the 2004 International Conference.

(Please note the following isn't the full article but a scanned in abstract)

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Chlamydia pneumoniae bacteria.
by Nancy Humphrey

Evidence is accumulating that many chronic ailments, including one that kills, are caused by bacteria
Scanned in from "The Economist" - 21st March 1998

Antibiotic slows atherosclerosis in people with Chlamydia pneumonia antibodies.
American Heart association

Pneumonia Organism May Play Role in MS Development.