title: Are anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies prognosis indicators for peripartum cardiomyopathy?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The authors recently pointed out an epidemiological relation between specific anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies and peripartum cardiomyopathy in Niamey (Republic of Niger).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this work, they studied the prognosis value of such specific antibodies.
  
  
  METHODS
  The serological status for specific IgG, IgA and IgM anti-C. pneumoniae antibodies of 50 African women (age, mean+/-SD = 30.2 +/- 7 years) hospitalized in Niamey, with peripartum cardiomyopathy, was determined at the time of diagnosis. The diagnosis was categorized as 'complete remission' (13 patients, age = 29.3 +/- 6.5 years, observation delay = 27 months), 'incomplete remission' (27 patients, age = 30.7 +/- 7.6 years, observation delay = 14 months) and 'deceased' (10 patients, age = 30.3 +/- 6.2 years, observation delay = 13 months). The control group comprised 27 African women (age = 25.2 +/- 4.6 years), living in the same area. The Mann-Whitney and Fisher's exact tests were used for the statistical comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The dilution of IgG specific anti-C. pneumoniae antibodies was higher (P = 0.047) in the 'incomplete remission' compared with 'complete remission'. The dilution of IgA specific anti-C. pneumoniae antibodies was higher (P = 0.033) in the patients with a severe evolution ('deceased' + 'incomplete remission') compared with 'complete remission'. There was no significant difference between patients in 'complete remission' compared with 'controls'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At the time of peripartum cardiomyopathy diagnosis the specific IgG and IgA anti-C. pneumoniae antibodies are of prognosis value: a high dilution is more often associated with a poor prognosis. This is the first identified prognosis factor during the precocious evolution of peripartum cardiomyopathy.
authors.affiliation: EA-948, Unité de Formation et de Recherche en Médecine de Brest (Université de Bretagne Occidentale), CHU de la Cavale Blanche, 29609 Brest, France. arnaud.cenac@chu-brest.fr
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cénac
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Djibo
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chaigneau
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Velmans
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Orfila
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000097:blood*; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009548:Niger; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial