In:
Epidemiology and Infection, Cambridge University Press (CUP), Vol. 118, No. 2 ( 1997-04), p. 155-164
Abstract:
The prevalence of chronic Chlamydia pneumoniae infection
was assessed in 54 patients with
established chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 41 of these with severe
COPD (group I), 13 with mild to moderate COPD (group II), and in 23 patients with
community-acquired pneumonia (controls, group III). Specific IgG and IgA antibody
levels and circulating immune complexes (ICs) were measured in paired sera, and specific secretory
IgA (sIgA) levels
in sputum specimens. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was used for the
detection of C.
pneumoniae in sputum. According to our definite diagnosis criterion,
65% of the COPD
patients showed evidence of suspected chronic C. pneumoniae infection
and the prevalence was
still higher (71%) in patients with severe disease. The occurrence of specific markers of infection was invariably highest in patients with severe COPD, next-highest
in patients with
mild to moderate COPD and lowest in pneumonia patients. The association between COPD
and C. pneumoniae infection persisted after controlling for the potential confounding factors.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0950-2688
,
1469-4409
DOI:
10.1017/S095026889600725X
Language:
English
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Publication Date:
1997
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1470211-3
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