[Chlamydophila pneumoniae seroprevalence in adults from the general population].
OBJECTIVE
Chlamydophila pneumoniae is an intracelular pathogen involved in the inflammatory pathogenesis of some chronic diseases with high prevalence. Infectivity is supposed to be high because the serologic patterns published are widely spread out all over the world. However, the prevalence in the Spanish adult population is unknown. Our goal was to assess the seroprevalence of specific IgG and IgA against C. pneumoniae in the general adult population performing an indirect immunofluorescence assay.


METHODS
462 serum samples were analysed from subjects over 15 years of age in the general population in Valladolid.


RESULTS
IgG 1:16 seroprevalence was 74.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 69.7-78.6) and IgG 1:64 was 32.2% (95% CI, 27.6-36.8), whereas IgA 1:16 was 21.5% (95% CI, 17.7-25.4) and IgA 1:32 was 5.2% (95% CI, 3.3-7.2). Higher titles were found in men and with increasing age, specially for IgA (p < 0.05). Only 3.6% (95% CI, 1.9-5.3) and 0.7% (95% CI, 0.03-1.4) of subjects showed titles IgG 1:256 or 1:512, respectively. Almost one fourth showed a title 1:16 for both immunoglobulins.


CONCLUSIONS
Chlamydophila pneumoniae maintains a high seroprevalence of infection in the Spanish adult population.
Bellido-Casado
Jesús
J
Departamento de Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Valladolid, España. jbellido@santpau.es
Martín-Escudero
J Carlos
JC
Tasende-Mata
Juan
J
Mena-Martín
Javier
J
Simal-Blanco
Fernando
F
Ortiz de Lejarazu
Raúl
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G