[Clinical study on acute respiratory infection caused by chlamydia pneumoniae].
OBJECTIVE
To find out the infected rate and the clinical features of patients with acute respiratory infection caused by chlamydia pneumonia(C. pneumoniae).


METHODS
A prospective study for chlamydia pneumoniae infection was conducted in 110 patients with respiratory tract infection from January to December 1995 in Nanjing. Sputum and throat swab specimens were taken and C. pneumoniae DNA were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the HM-1-HR-1 primer pair. At the same time, serum samples were taken and immunoglobulins G and M (IgG and IgM) fractions of antibodies to C. pneumoniae were studied by microimmunofluorescence test.


RESULTS
Prevalence of specific IgG was 70% in patients with respiratory tract infection. Seventeen patients (16%) were serologically diagnosed as having recent C. pneumoniae infection and 12 patients (11%) had the positive PCR in sputum and/or swab specimens. The total positive rate was 23% (25/110) combining PCR with serology. Acute infection of C. pneumoniae was common in the patients with asthma (57%), pneumonia (35%), COPD (26%) and bronchitis (25%). The clinical feature between C. pneumonia infection (n = 5) and non-C. pneumonia infection (n = 85) was not significanty different.


CONCLUSIONS
Data suggest that Chlamydia pneumonia is an important pathogen that causes infections of the human respiratory tract and attention should be drawn to this special illness.
Shi
Y
Y
Department of Respirology, Nanjing General Hospital, Nanjing Military Command, Nanjing, 210002.
Xia
X
X
Song
Y
Y
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial