Chlamydial rRNA in the joints of patients with Chlamydia-induced arthritis and undifferentiated arthritis.
Synovial fluid and synovial membrane specimens of 11 patients with Chlamydia-induced arthritis (CIA), 24 patients with undifferentiated arthritis (UndA), 4 patients with post-enteritic reactive arthritis, 3 patients with Lyme arthritis and 9 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were investigated for the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis). A single stranded DNA-probe was used for nucleic acid hybridization with ribosomal RNA (rRNA) from C. trachomatis. In 4 patients (CIA = 1, UndA = 3) chlamydial rRNA was found in the synovial fluid. In one additional patient (CIA) the specimen of a synovial membrane biopsy was positive for chlamydial rRNA. The detection of intra-articular chlamydial rRNA is discussed as an indicator for the presence of viable Chlamydiae in inflamed joints.
Department of Internal Medicine, Medizinische Hochschule, Hannover, Germany.
M
M
Hammer
E
E
Nettelnbreker
S
S
Hopf
E
E
Schmitz
K
K
Pörschke
H
H
Zeidler
D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001706:Biopsy; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D015342:DNA Probes; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis*; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology
D015342:DNA Probes; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal