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- Normann, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Association between Chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies and wheezing in young children and the influence of sex
- 2006
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Ingår i: Thorax. - : BMJ. - 0040-6376 .- 1468-3296. ; 61:12, s. 1054-1058
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The proposed association between Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) infection and wheezing needs further clarification. METHODS: Serum samples obtained from 1581 children aged 4 years in a population based cohort were tested for antibodies to Cpn and IgE antibodies to common allergens. Data on environmental factors and disease were collected prospectively from birth. RESULTS: The occurrence of IgG antibodies to Cpn at 4 years of age was associated with reported wheezing at different ages; however, these findings were most often not significant. In girls, the occurrence of anti-Cpn IgG was associated with wheezing at the ages of 1, 2, and 4 years (odds ratios (ORs) 3.41 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.46 to 7.96), 2.13 (95% CI 1.02 to 4.44), and 2.01 (95% CI 1.14 to 3.54), respectively), and even higher ORs were observed for each age category when only high level antibody responses to Cpn were analysed. At the time of blood sampling the association between anti-Cpn IgG and wheezing was restricted to girls without atopic sensitisation (OR 2.39 (95% CI 1.25 to 4.57). No associations with wheezing were detected in boys, in whom IgE sensitisation was inversely associated with the presence of anti-Cpn IgG (OR 0.49 (95% CI 0.26 to 0.90)). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests an association between evidence of earlier Cpn infection and a history of wheezing in young girls. Infection with Cpn may be an important risk factor for wheezing and possibly for non-atopic asthma, predominantly in girls.
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| 2. |
- Normann, Erik, et al.
(författare)
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Chlamydia pneumoniae infection predicts a reduced risk for subsequent atopic disease.
- 2005
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Ingår i: Acta Paediatr. - 0803-5253. ; 94:6, s. 705-10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIM: To investigate long-term effects on children previously infected with Chlamydia pneumoniae. METHODS: A follow-up questionnaire was sent to all participants from a former population-based study in order to investigate health status during the 4 y that had elapsed between the two studies. In the original study, the prevalence of C. pneumoniae infection was 23% as determined by PCR analyses on throat swab specimens. These PCR results were found to have no detectable correlation for clinical disease. The main outcome measures in this follow-up study were the reported prevalence of respiratory tract infections, asthma and allergy. RESULTS: Approximately 83% completed the follow-up questionnaire. No increase in respiratory tract infections was reported by children previously found to have C. pneumoniae infection. A diagnosis of allergy was more common in the former PCR-negative population (13.4% vs 4.7%, p<0.03). The differences were most apparent in the population with atopic heredity. In a logistic regression model with different suggested risk factors for allergy, earlier infection with C. pneumoniae reduced the risk for allergy (OR=0.13; 95% CI: 0.02-0.99). This was not found for asthma. CONCLUSION: A positive PCR test for C. pneumoniae in young children was associated with a lower risk of developing allergic airway disease in this study population, and did not predict an increase in respiratory tract infections.
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