[The relationship between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and primary biliary cirrhosis].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) infection and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC).


METHODS
Chlamydia pneumoniae IgG and IgM were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 41 well-established PBC patients and two race-matched control groups, PHC, n = 70; healthy controls, HC, n =57).


RESULTS
The mean levels and seroprevalence of CP IgG in PBC group and PHC group were significantly higher than in the HC [(46.8 +/- 43.4) RU/ml, (49.5 +/- 45.2) RU/ml vs (28.3 +/- 32.7) RU/ml, P = 0.042 and P < 0.001 respectively; 68.3%, 71.4% vs 42.1%, chi2 values were 5.389 and 11.110 respectively]. There was a markedly elevated seroprevalence of CP IgM in patients with PBC (22.0%) compared with the PHC and HC groups. The odds ratios (ORs) for the presence of CP IgG and IgM for the PBC patients versus the HC were 2.7 (95% CI 0.9 to 6.1) and 5.1 (95% CI 1.4 to 18.5). Though there was no correlation in the level of CP IgG with total IgG in sera of patients with PBC (r=-0.857, p=0.344), CP IgM was related with the abnormally high concentrations of total IgM in the PBC group.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study do not support the hypothesis that infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae may be a triggering agent for PBC, but suggest that Chlamydia pneumoniae infection probably contributes to the high level of IgM presented in most of the patients with PBC
Liu
Hai-Ying
HY
Laboratory Diagnostics, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University and Clinical Immunology Center of PLA, Shanghai 200003, China.
Fan
Lie-Ying
LY
Tu
Xiao-Qing
XQ
Zhou
Ye
Y
Chen
Yan
Y
Deng
An-Mei
AM
Zhong
Ren-Qian
RQ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000150:complications*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007075:Immunoglobulin M