title: No correlation between giant cell arteritis and Chlamydia pneumoniae infection: investigation of 189 patients by standard and improved PCR methods.
abstract: A total of 189 temporal artery biopsy samples from giant cell arteritis (GCA) patients were investigated using sensitive PCR targeting Chlamydia pneumoniae. Chlamydial DNA was detected in 17 samples, 11 of which were positive for chlamydial antigens. Our data did not reveal strong evidence that C. pneumoniae plays an important role in the pathogenesis of GCA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Hannover Medical School, Carl Neuberg Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany. fnjau@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Njau
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ness
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wittkop
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pancratz
authors.forename: Meike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eickhoff
authors.forename: Alan P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haller
authors.forename: Annette D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Wagner
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000150:complications*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D013700:Giant Cell Arteritis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial