Role of intracellular pathogens in respiratory tract infections.
Recent epidemiologic studies have shown that in patients with acute respiratory tract infection, intracellular pathogens, and particularly Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae, might be involved more frequently than was previously assumed. In addition, newer investigations, such as specific culture or polymerase chain reaction (PCR), when systematically performed in patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and even cystic fibrosis, frequently detect Mycoplasma pneumoniae or Chlamydia pneumoniae in those individuals. The significance of such detection (chronic bronchial infection?) and the role that these intracellular pathogens might play in the natural history of chronic respiratory diseases remain to be evaluated.
Mayaud
C.
C
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tenon Hospital, Paris, France.
Mangiapan
G.
G