Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T03:59:30.689Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

High prevalence of antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae; determinants of IgG and IgA seropositivity among Jerusalem residents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

O. Paltiel
Affiliation:
Department of Social Medicine, Hadassah Medical Organization, POB 12000, Jerusalem, Israel 91120 and Joseph and Bella Braun School of Public Health, Ein Karem, Jerusalem
J. D. Kark
Affiliation:
Department of Social Medicine, Hadassah Medical Organization, POB 12000, Jerusalem, Israel 91120 and Joseph and Bella Braun School of Public Health, Ein Karem, Jerusalem
M. Leinonen
Affiliation:
National Public Health Institute, Oulu and Helsinki
P. Saikku
Affiliation:
National Public Health Institute, Oulu and Helsinki The Department of Virology, University of Helsinki
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The prevalence of antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae was examined in a stratified random sample of 581 Jerusalem adult residents between August 1987 and March 1989. IgG and IgA titres were measured by microimmunofluorescence, and associations with smoking and socio-demographic variables were assessed. IgG antibodies were found in 84·5% (95% confidence interval (CI): 80·4–87·9) of men and 68·7% (95% CI: 61·6–75·0) of women (P < 0·0001 for sex difference), indicating a very high rate of exposure in this population. IgA antibodies, postulated to represent persistent infection, were present in 45·1% (95% CI: 40·1–50·2) of men and 23% (95% CI: 17·4–29·7) of women (P < 0.0001 for sex difference). Factors associated with IgG seropositivity included family size, education and social class. On the other hand, age (in men) and smoking were associated with IgA seropositivity. These findings support the hypothesis that low socioeconomic status and household crowding may be predictive of exposure to or infection with this organism (IgG seropositivity), whereas they do not explain persistence of the infection putatively expressed as IgA seropositivity.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

References

REFERENCES

1.Grayston, JT, Cambell, LA, Kuo, CC et al. . A new respiratory tract pathogen: Chalmydia pneumoniae strain TWAR. J Infect Dis 1990; 161: 618–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Saikku, P. The epidemiology and significance of Chlamydia pneumoniae. J Infect 1992; 25. Suppl 1: 2732.Google Scholar
3.Grayston, JT, Kuo, CC, Wang, SP, Altman, J. A new Chlamydia psitacci strain, TWAR. isolated in acute respiratory tract infection. N Engl J Med 1986; 315: 161–8.Google Scholar
4.Saikku, P, Wang, SP, Kleemola, M, Brander, E, Rusanen, E, Grayston, JT. An epidemic of mild pneumonia due to an unusual strain of Chlamydia psittaci. J Infect Dis 1985; 151: 832–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Karvonen, M, Tuomilehto, J, Naukkarinen, A, Saikku, P. The prevalence and regional distribution of antibodies against Chlamydia pneumoniae (strain TWAR) in Finland in 1958. Int J Epidemiol 1992; 21 391–7.Google Scholar
6.Wang, SP, Grayston, JT. Population prevalence of antibody to Chlamydia pneumoniae. strain TWAR. In Proceedings of the 7th International Symposium on Human Chlamydial Infections. Bowie, WR, Caldwell, HD, Jones, RP, Mardh, PA, Ridgway, GL, Schachter, J, Stamm, WE, Ward, ME, eds 1990: 402–5.Google Scholar
7.Aldous, MB, Grayston, JY, Wang, S-P, Foy, HM. Seroepidemiology of Chlamydia pneumoniae TWAR infection in Seattle families, 1966–1979. J Infect Dis 1992; 166: 646–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Grayston, JT, Mordhorst, CH, Wang, SP. Childhood myocarditis associated with Chlamydia trachomatis infection. JAMA 1981; 246: 2823–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Jones, RB, Priest, JB, Kuo, CC. Subacute chlamydial endocarditis. JAMA 1982; 247: 655–8.Google Scholar
10.Odeh, M, Oliven, A. Chlamydial infections of the heart. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 1992; 11: 885–93.Google Scholar
11.Saikku, P, Leinonen, M, Mattila, K et al. , Serological evidence of a novel chlamydia. TWAR, with chronic coronary heart disease and acute myocardial infarction. Lancet 1988; ii: 983–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Saikku, P, Leinonen, M, Tenkanen, L et al. , Chronic Chlamydia pneumoniae infection as a risk factor for coronary heart disease in the Helsinki Heart Study. Ann Int Med 1992; 116: 273–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13.Leinonen, M, Linnanmaki, E, Mattila, K et al. , Circulating immune complexes containing chlamydial lipopoysaccharide in acute myocardial infarction. Microbiol Pathogenesis 1990; 9: 6773.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14.Thorn, DH, Wang, S-P, Grayston, T et al. , Chlamydia pneumoniae strain TWAR antibody and angiographically demonstrated coronary artery disease. Arterioscler Thromb 1991; 11: 547–51.Google Scholar
15.Linnanmaki, E, Leinonen, M, Mattila, K et al. , Presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae specific antibodies in circulating immune complexes in coronary heart disease. Circulation 1993; 87: 1130–4.Google Scholar
16.Kark, JD, Sardholzer, C, Friedlander, Y, Utermann, G. Plasma Lp (a), apolipoprotein (a) isoforms and acute myocardial infection in men and women: a case-control study in the Jerusalem population. Atherosclerosis 1993; 98: 139–51.Google Scholar
17.Kark, SL, Peritz, E, Shiloh, A, Slome, C. Epidemiologic analysis of the hemoglobin picture in parturient women of Jerusalem. Am J Pub Health 1964: 54: 947–8.Google Scholar
18.Jauhiainen, T, Tuomi, T, Leinonen, M, Kark, JD, Saikku, P. Interference of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in IgA antibody determinations for Chlamydia pneumoniae by microimmunofluorescence test. J Clin Microbiol 1994; 32: In press.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19.The WHO MONICA Project. Geographical variation in the major risk factors of coronary heart disease in men and women aged 35–64 years. World Hlth Statist Quart 1988; 41: 115–40.Google Scholar
20.Thorn, DH, Grayston, JT, Siscovick, DS, Wang, S-P, Weiss, N, Daling, JR. Association of prior infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae and angiographically demonstrated coronary artery disease. JAMA 1992; 268: 6872.Google Scholar
21.Saikku, P, Ruutu, P, Leinonen, M, Panelius, J, Tupasi, TE, Grayston, JT. Acute lower respiratory tract infection associated with Chlamydial TWAR antibody in Filippino children. J Infect Dis 1988; 158: 1095–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22.Kanamoto, Y, Ouchi, K, Mizui, M, Ushio, M, Usui, T. Prevalence of antibody to Chlamydia pneumoniae TWAR in Japan. J Clin Microbiol 1991; 29: 816–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23.Kleemola, M, Saikku, P, Visakorpi, R, Wang, SP, Grayston, JT. Epidemics of pneumonia caused by TWAR, a new Chlamydia organism, in military conscripts. Clin Infect Dis 1988: 157: 230–6.Google Scholar
24.Ekman, MR, Grayston, JT, Visakorpi, R, Kleemola, M, Kuo, CC, Saikku, P. An epidemic of infections due to Chlamydia pneumoniae in military conscripts. Clin Infect Dis 1993; 17: 420–5.Google Scholar
25.Gnarpe, H, Gnarpe, J, Sundelof, B, Gustafson, R, Gardulf, A. Prevalence of specific antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae (TWAR) in Swedish orienteers. Lancet 1992; 340: 1047–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26.Barenfanger, J. Studies on the role of the family unit in the transmission of trachoma. Am J Trop Med Hygiene 1975; 24: 509–15.Google Scholar
27.Hahn, D, Golubjatnikov, R. Smoking is a potential confounder of the Chlamydia pneumoniae-coronary artery disease association. Arterioscler Thromb 1992; 12: 945–7.Google Scholar
28.Naher, H, Petzoldt, D. Evaluation of an indirect peroxidase antibody test (Ipazyme) for the detection of specific IgA and IgG antibodies to Chlamydia in human serum. In: Oriel, D, Ridgeway, G, Sehaeter, J, Taylor-Robinson, D, Ward, M, eds. Chlamydial infections. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1986: 562–5.Google Scholar
29.Sarov, I, Sarov, B, Hanuka, N, Glasner, M, Kaneti, J. The significance of serum specific IgA antibodies in diagnosis of active Chlamydia trachomatis infections. In: Oriel, D, Ridgeway, G, Sehaeter, J, Taylor-Robinson, D, Ward, M, eds. Chlamydial infections. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1986: 566–9.Google Scholar
30.Samra, Z, Soffer, Y. IgA antichlamydia antibodies as a diagnostic tool for monitoring of active chlamydia infection. Eur J Epidemiol 1992; 8: 882–4.Google Scholar