Chlamydophila pneumoniae in chronic rhinosinusitis.
CONCLUSIONS
The intracellular bacterium Chlamydophila pneumoniae (Cp) was infrequently found in nasopharynx and lacking in biopsies from the middle turbinate in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients. Compared with healthy controls, patients suffering from CRS had significantly higher and more prevalent antibody titers to Cp. However, an association between CRS and Cp could not be established.


OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of Cp in CRS patients and in healthy controls to determine if an association exists between Cp and CRS.


METHODS
PCR against Cp was run on middle turbinate biopsies and on throat and nasopharyngeal swabs from 25 CRS patients and from 10 healthy controls. Serum samples were tested for Cp-specific antibodies by the microimmunofluorescence method. Patients that tested positive for Cp or had high antibody titers were treated with antibiotics.


RESULTS
Cp was found in nasopharyngeal samples from two patients but from none of the controls. Neither patients nor controls had Cp in biopsies from the middle turbinate. Antibody titers against Cp were significantly higher and more prevalent in patients than in controls. Seventeen patients were treated with antibiotics but only four of them recovered from sinusitis symptoms during the 2-year follow-up.
Edvinsson
M
M
Infectious Diseases, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. marie.edvinsson@medsci.uu.se
Asplund
M Stenkvist
MS
Hjelm
E
E
Nyström-Rosander
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D014420:Turbinates / Q000382:microbiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000906:Antibodies; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D017963:Azithromycin; D004318:Doxycycline