Community-acquired Chlamydia pneumoniae Pneumonia in Japan: A Prospective Multicenter Community-acquired Pneumonia Study.

Abstract

Objective To investigate the clinical features of Chlamydia pneumoniaepneumoniain Japan and to evaluate the newly created Japanese community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) guidelines. Patients and Methods A multicenter CAPsurveillance study was carried out in 20 hospitals between December 1999 and March 2000. The diagnosis of C. pneumoniae infection was based on isolation in cell culture, the polymerase chain reaction and serologic testing of antibodies by the microimmunofluorescence test. Results Among232 CAPcases, C. pneumoniae was identified as the etiologic agent in 15 cases (6.5 % ). C. pneumoniae was the only pathogen identified in nine of these cases, while one or moreadditional etiological agents were found in the other six cases. Of the present and previously reported single agent C. pneumoniae pneumonia cases, about 50%were more than 60 years old and had underlying diseases. A relatively slow pulse rate in relation to fever was not seen in these patients. The mean WBCcount of all patients was normal. No patient required respiratory support or admission to an intensive care unit and no deaths occurred among these patients. Conclusion The clinical pictures of C. pneumoniae pneumonia as a single agent were mild to moderate and were remarkably different from those of cases of C. pneumoniae pneumonia concomitant with other bacteria. If the patient is less than 60 years old and some guideline headings are excluded, we think it would be possible to distinguish between C. pneumoniae and bacterial pneumonia. (Internal Medicine 41: 943-949, 2002)

Community-acquired pneumonia by Chlamydophila pneumoniae: a clinical and incidence study in Brazil

“…Within the last 15 years, it has been worldwide identified as a significant pathogen of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), being its prevalence in studies of adult patients requiring hospitalization between 6,5% [2] and 17.9% [3], reaching 43% during a C. pneumoniae epidemic [4].…”

Age Alterations in Extent and Severity of Experimental Intranasal Infection withChlamydophila pneumoniaein BALB/c Mice

“…Epidemiologic studies show that infection rates are high and increase with age. In both eastern and western industrialized countries, it is estimated that 50% of middle-aged individuals are seropositive (32,37,38,49). In males 60 years of age and older, seropositivity is estimated at 60 to 70% (25,40).…”

Two Cases of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome with High Values of <i>Chlamydophila pneumoniae</i>-Specific Antibodies

“…pneumoniae infection usually exhibits a prolonged but mild clinical course (1)(2)(3)(4). However, in elderly individuals or patients with chronic disease, severe life-threatening pneumonia has been reported (9)(10)(11)(12).…”

“…Chlamydophila pneumoniae is now recognized to be a common source of respiratory infection (1)(2)(3). Diagnosing C. pneumoniae infection is often difficult because antibody assays are the only effective diagnostic methods (1,2,4).…”

“…Diagnosing C. pneumoniae infection is often difficult because antibody assays are the only effective diagnostic methods (1,2,4). In Japan, ELISA-based detection of C. pneumoniae-specific immunoglobulin A, G and M antibodies (Ab-IgA, Ab-IgG and Ab-IgM) is generally used to identify this pathogen (5,6).…”