Alveolar epithelial cells type II are major target cells for C. pneumoniae in chronic but not in acute respiratory infection.
Pulmonary presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae is associated with acute and chronic infections. We show that unapparent chlamydial infection in four out of 31 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients (12.9%) is characterized by a significant increase in infected alveolar epithelial cells type II (18.2 +/- 3.5% vs. 2.3 +/- 0.9; IHC/ISH) compared to a newly established model of acute chlamydial infection (ACIM) in vital lung specimens from pulmonary lobectomy. Expression of cHSP60 demonstrated pathogen viability and virulence in the ACIM. We conclude that target cells differ in acute and chronic chlamydial infection and suggest the ACIM as a novel tool to analyze the host-pathogen-interactions in acute respiratory infections.
Rupp
Jan
J
Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538, Germany. jan.rupp@hygiene.ukl.mu-luebeck.de
Droemann
Daniel
D
Goldmann
Torsten
T
Zabel
Peter
P
Solbach
Werner
W
Vollmer
Ekkehard
E
Branscheid
Detlev
D
Dalhoff
Klaus
K
Maass
Matthias
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000378:metabolism; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D046508:Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000382:microbiology*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D014774:Virulence
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D018834:Chaperonin 60