[Prevalence of chlamydia-pneumoniae-specific immunoglobulin M antibody and acute exacerbations of asthma in childhood].
BACKGROUND
Chlamydia pneumoniae is a frequent causative agent of acute respiratory disease and has been recently reported as a possible cause of asthma. We investigated the prevalence of C. pneumoniae infections in childhood patients with acute exacerbations of asthma.


METHODS
One hundred twenty-six childhood patients with acute exacerbations of asthma, 77 with acute bronchitis and 22 Respiratory syncytial virus infections were studied. Serum samples were obtained and tested for C. pneumoniae-specific IgM antibody by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA).


RESULTS
C. pneumoniae IgM-positive results were observed in 48.4% (Index value>or=1.60) and 23% (Index value>or=1.10) of patients with acute exacerbations of asthma. The prevalence of C. pneumoniae-specific IgM was significantly higher in asthma cases than in other subjects (p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that C. pneumoniae infection may trigger acute exacerbations of childhood asthma.
Sato
Satoshi
S
Department of Pediatrics, Tokyo Medical University. sato115@tokyo-med.ac.jp
Kawashima
Hisashi
H
Kashiwagi
Yasuyo
Y
Ushio
Nobuhisa
N
Nagai
Makoto
M
Takekuma
Kouji
K
Hoshika
Akinori
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood*; D007223:Infant; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D015415:Biomarkers; D007075:Immunoglobulin M