Skip to main content
PMC home page
Epidemiology and Infection logoLink to Epidemiology and Infection
. 1995 Jun;114(3):465–473. doi: 10.1017/s0950268800052171

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

O Paltiel 1, J D Kark 1, M Leinonen 1, P Saikku 1
PMCID: PMC2271293  PMID: 7781734

Abstract

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.

Full text

PDF
467

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aldous M. B., Grayston J. T., Wang S. P., Foy H. M. Seroepidemiology of Chlamydia pneumoniae TWAR infection in Seattle families, 1966-1979. J Infect Dis. 1992 Sep;166(3):646–649. doi: 10.1093/infdis/166.3.646. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barenfanger J. Studies on the role of the famiy unit in the transmission of trachoma. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1975 May;24(3):509–515. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1975.24.509. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cane P. A., Matthews D. A., Pringle C. R. Analysis of respiratory syncytial virus strain variation in successive epidemics in one city. J Clin Microbiol. 1994 Jan;32(1):1–4. doi: 10.1128/jcm.32.1.1-4.1994. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ekman M. R., Grayston J. T., Visakorpi R., Kleemola M., Kuo C. C., Saikku P. An epidemic of infections due to Chlamydia pneumoniae in military conscripts. Clin Infect Dis. 1993 Sep;17(3):420–425. doi: 10.1093/clinids/17.3.420. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gnarpe H., Gnarpe J., Sundelöf B., Gustafson R., Gardulf A. Prevalence of specific antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae (TWAR) in Swedish orienteers. Lancet. 1992 Oct 24;340(8826):1047–1048. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(92)93071-t. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Grayston J. T., Campbell L. A., Kuo C. C., Mordhorst C. H., Saikku P., Thom D. H., Wang S. P. A new respiratory tract pathogen: Chlamydia pneumoniae strain TWAR. J Infect Dis. 1990 Apr;161(4):618–625. doi: 10.1093/infdis/161.4.618. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Grayston J. T., Kuo C. C., Wang S. P., Altman J. A new Chlamydia psittaci strain, TWAR, isolated in acute respiratory tract infections. N Engl J Med. 1986 Jul 17;315(3):161–168. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198607173150305. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Grayston J. T., Mordhorst C. H., Wang S. P. Childhood myocarditis associated with Chlamydia trachomatis infection. JAMA. 1981 Dec 18;246(24):2823–2827. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hahn D. L., Golubjatnikov R. Smoking is a potential confounder of the Chlamydia pneumoniae-coronary artery disease association. Arterioscler Thromb. 1992 Aug;12(8):945–947. doi: 10.1161/01.atv.12.8.945. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Jones R. B., Priest J. B., Kuo C. Subacute chlamydial endocarditis. JAMA. 1982 Feb 5;247(5):655–658. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. KARK S. L., PERITZ E., SHILOH A., SLOME C. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE HEMOGLOBIN PICTURE IN PARTURIENT WOMEN OF JERUSALEM. Am J Public Health Nations Health. 1964 Jun;54:947–960. doi: 10.2105/ajph.54.6.947. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kanamoto Y., Ouchi K., Mizui M., Ushio M., Usui T. Prevalence of antibody to Chlamydia pneumoniae TWAR in japan. J Clin Microbiol. 1991 Apr;29(4):816–818. doi: 10.1128/jcm.29.4.816-818.1991. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kark J. D., Sandholzer C., Friedlander Y., Utermann G. Plasma Lp(a), apolipoprotein(a) isoforms and acute myocardial infarction in men and women: a case-control study in the Jerusalem population. Atherosclerosis. 1993 Jan 25;98(2):139–151. doi: 10.1016/0021-9150(93)90124-d. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. 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 Apr;21(2):391–398. doi: 10.1093/ije/21.2.391. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Leinonen M., Linnanmäki E., Mattila K., Nieminen M. S., Valtonen V., Leirisalo-Repo M., Saikku P. Circulating immune complexes containing chlamydial lipopolysaccharide in acute myocardial infarction. Microb Pathog. 1990 Jul;9(1):67–73. doi: 10.1016/0882-4010(90)90042-o. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Linnanmäki E., Leinonen M., Mattila K., Nieminen M. S., Valtonen V., Saikku P. Chlamydia pneumoniae-specific circulating immune complexes in patients with chronic coronary heart disease. Circulation. 1993 Apr;87(4):1130–1134. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.87.4.1130. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Odeh M., Oliven A. Chlamydial infections of the heart. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 1992 Oct;11(10):885–893. doi: 10.1007/BF01962368. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Saikku P., Leinonen M., Mattila K., Ekman M. R., Nieminen M. S., Mäkelä P. H., Huttunen J. K., Valtonen V. Serological evidence of an association of a novel Chlamydia, TWAR, with chronic coronary heart disease and acute myocardial infarction. Lancet. 1988 Oct 29;2(8618):983–986. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(88)90741-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Saikku P., Leinonen M., Tenkanen L., Linnanmäki E., Ekman M. R., Manninen V., Mänttäri M., Frick M. H., Huttunen J. K. Chronic Chlamydia pneumoniae infection as a risk factor for coronary heart disease in the Helsinki Heart Study. Ann Intern Med. 1992 Feb 15;116(4):273–278. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-116-4-273. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Saikku P., Ruutu P., Leinonen M., Panelius J., Tupasi T. E., Grayston J. T. Acute lower-respiratory-tract infection associated with chlamydial TWAR antibody in Filipino children. J Infect Dis. 1988 Nov;158(5):1095–1097. doi: 10.1093/infdis/158.5.1095. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Saikku P., Wang S. P., Kleemola M., Brander E., Rusanen E., Grayston J. T. An epidemic of mild pneumonia due to an unusual strain of Chlamydia psittaci. J Infect Dis. 1985 May;151(5):832–839. doi: 10.1093/infdis/151.5.832. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Samra Z., Soffer Y. IgA antichlamydia antibodies as a diagnostic tool for monitoring of active chlamydial infection. Eur J Epidemiol. 1992 Nov;8(6):882–884. doi: 10.1007/BF00145338. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Thom D. H., Grayston J. T., Siscovick D. S., Wang S. P., Weiss N. S., Daling J. R. Association of prior infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae and angiographically demonstrated coronary artery disease. JAMA. 1992 Jul 1;268(1):68–72. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Thom D. H., Wang S. P., Grayston J. T., Siscovick D. S., Stewart D. K., Kronmal R. A., Weiss N. S. Chlamydia pneumoniae strain TWAR antibody and angiographically demonstrated coronary artery disease. Arterioscler Thromb. 1991 May-Jun;11(3):547–551. doi: 10.1161/01.atv.11.3.547. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Epidemiology and Infection are provided here courtesy of Cambridge University Press

RESOURCES