High rate of seropositivity of Chlamydia pneumoniae IgA in male patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
The aim of this study was to investigate if there was any relationship between nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and the rate of Chlamydia pneumoniae seropositivity in a male population. Fifteen men with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and 20 healthy men were enrolled in the study. The seropositivity rate of Chlamydia pneumoniae immunoglobulin A in the nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and control groups was 53.3 and 5%, respectively. The rate of Chlamydia pneumoniae immunoglobulin A positivity was significantly higher in the nonalcoholic steatohepatitis group than the controls (P = 0.002), while such a difference did not occur for Chlamydia pneumoniae immunoglobulin G positivity (P > 0.05). There is an association between nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and persistent Chlamydia pneumoniae infection as a probable causative or triggering agent. These findings suggest that further studies are necessary to clarify this association.
Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology Division, Harran University, Medical Faculty, Sanliurfa, Turkey. fusunbol@yahoo.ca
Fusun F
FF
Bolukbas
Cengiz
C
Bolukbas
Fadile
F
Zeyrek
Mehmet
M
Aslan
Halil I
HI
Bahcecioglu
Ilyas
I
Ozardali
D000328:Adult; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012737:Sex Factors
D007070:Immunoglobulin A