title: Chlamydia pneumoniae infection of the central nervous system.
abstract: Chlamydia pneumoniae is a common respiratory pathogen that is now being implicated in a number of chronic diseases. That the organism can infect vascular endothelium, macrophages and smooth muscle cells suggests that it may play a role in many systemic diseases. The present review focuses on the possibility that the central nervous system can also be a target of this agent. The tropism of C. pneumoniae to the neural tissue suggests it may play a role in diverse neurologic diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and giant-cell arteritis.
authors.affiliation: Multiple Sclerosis Research Center, Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yucesan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sriram
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D014774:Virulence