title: Prevalence of Chlamydophila pneumoniae antibodies in women with pre-eclampsia in Lagos, Nigeria.
abstract: The precise aetiology of pre-eclampsia has remained unknown. It is still a major contributor to maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relationship between pre-eclampsia and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies to Chlamydophila pneumoniae.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eleven parturients in a tertiary hospital in Lagos, Nigeria comprising 49 women with pre-eclampsia and 62 women without pre-eclampsia were studied.Peripheral blood was obtained for Chlamydophila pneumoniae antibodies which were measured using a solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and maternal diastolic blood pressure, perinatal morbidity and mortality were also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cases (N = 49) and controls (N = 62) were evenly matched with respect to age and parity. The women with pre-eclampsia delivered at significantly lower gestational ages than those with normotensive gestations. 66.7% of all the subjects were seropositive for Chlamydophila pneumoniae antibodies. 38 out of the 49 cases (77.6%) were positive for the Chlamydophila pneumoniae antibodies compared with 36 out of the 62 controls (58.1%) [p<0.05].Higher antibody titres were found in parous women with a previous history of pre-eclampsia compared with those without a previous history (p = 0.0308).However, there was no significant association between antibody titres and pregnancy outcome (p >0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results from this study suggest a link between Chlamydophila pneumoniae IgG antibodies and pre-eclampsia. Further prospective studies with larger sizes are needed to verify this association and identify therapeutic options that will effectively prevent the onset or progression of pre-eclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, PMB 12003, Idi-Araba,Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Awoleke
authors.forename: G O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Ajayi
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Adegbola
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D009549:Nigeria; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G