title: Chlamydial nucleic acids in synovium in osteoarthritis: what are the implications?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study whether there is evidence of bacterial DNA in some osteoarthritic (OA) joint tissues, and the clinical implications of finding bacterial DNA in this relatively noninflammatory disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect DNA of Chlamydia trachomatis, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and other bacteria using panbacterial primers in synovial membranes and other articular tissues of 32 consecutive patients undergoing surgery for hip and knee OA. Patients were interviewed and examined postoperatively. Operative reports were reviewed and followup examinations were accomplished on all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine of 32 patients with OA (28.1%) had evidence for bacterial DNA in joint tissues with at least one set of primers for Chlamydia: 7 for C. trachomatis (21.9%), 2 for C. pneumoniae (6.2%). Five of 32 (15.6%) patients had postoperative complications; 3 of these were in patients who showed amplified DNA of C. trachomatis in joints and one in a patient in whom we detected Escherichia coli.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  C. trachomatis and C. pneumoniae nucleic acids can be present in joints in some cases of apparently classical OA. Whether chlamydial or other difficult to culture bacterial presence is associated with complications is suggested, but remains to be determined. Simple presence of C. trachomatis by PCR does not define a clinical syndrome or disease course.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Olmez
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Schumacher
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D010957:Plasmids / Q000032:analysis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S