Publications

mycoplasma pneumoniae and chlamydia pneumoniae in calcified nodules of aortic stenotic valves.	aortic valve stenosis (avs) has been explained as an atherosclerotic process of the valve as they often exhibit inflammatory changes with infiltration of macrophages, t lymphocytes and lipid infiltration. the present study investigated whether the bacteria chlamydia pneumoniae (cp) and mycoplasma pneumoniae (mp), detected previously in atherosclerotic plaques, are also present in avs. ten valves surgically removed from patients with avs were analyzed by immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridizatio ...	2002	12219112
infectious agents in coronary atheromas: a possible role in the pathogenesis of plaque rupture and acute myocardial infarction.	in this review we report our recent findings of histopathological features of plaque instability and the association with mycoplasma pneumoniae (mp) and chlamydia pneumoniae (cp) infection, studying thrombosed coronary artery segments (cas) of patients who died due to acute myocardial infarction. vulnerable plaques are known to be associated with fat atheromas and inflammation of the plaque. here we demonstrated that vulnerability is also related with focal positive vessel remodeling that mainta ...	2002	12219114
chlamydia pneumoniae seropositivity predicts the risk of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.	this study was done to evaluate whether anti-chlamydia pneumoniae seropositivity can be a predictor of restenosis after coronary intervention. recent studies indicate that latent infection with c. pneumoniae is associated with and could possibly cause atherosclerosis. however, it is unknown whether chronic infection with this microorganism is involved in the mechanism of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. we prospectively studied 78 consecutive patients (90 target l ...	2002	12224784
respiratory infections and asthma.	what we know: respiratory viral infections caused by rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, influenza, parainfluenza and respiratory syncytial viruses (rsvs) are important triggers of asthma attacks. mycoplasma and chlamydia infections can also provoke asthma attacks, although less commonly. rsv infections probably do not cause asthma, but are potent triggers of wheezing, with the result that rsv infection often reveals underlying asthma in children. rsv infection does not cause atopy. bacterial respirato ...	2002	12225258
dynamic diversity of the tryptophan pathway in chlamydiae: reductive evolution and a novel operon for tryptophan recapture.	complete genomic sequences of closely related organisms, such as the chlamydiae, afford the opportunity to assess significant strain differences against a background of many shared characteristics. the chlamydiae are ubiquitous intracellular parasites that are important pathogens of humans and other organisms. tryptophan limitation caused by production of interferon-gamma by the host and subsequent induction of indoleamine dioxygenase is a key aspect of the host-parasite interaction. it appears ...	2002	12225590
isolation of chlamydia pneumoniae clonal variants by a focus-forming assay.	chlamydia pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular prokaryotic human pathogen that causes community-acquired respiratory infection and has been associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. unexpected results from genomic sequencing indicate that significant intrastrain polymorphism exists for some c. pneumoniae isolates. these polymorphisms could reflect genotypes with differing disease-causing characteristics. a definitive means to test this hypothesis is to obtain genetically hom ...	2002	12228314
chlamydial antigens colocalize within inca-laden fibers extending from the inclusion membrane into the host cytosol.	chlamydial inca localizes to the inclusion membrane and to vesicular fibers extending away from the inclusion. chlamydial outer membrane components, in the absence of developmental forms, are found within these fibers. this colocalization may explain how chlamydial developmental form antigens are localized outside of the inclusion within infected cells.	2002	12228318
greater pathogen burden but not elevated c-reactive protein increases the risk of clinical restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention.	restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (pci) constitutes a serious complication in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, but known risk factors do not fully account for the observed restenosis risk. preliminary studies of infection or inflammation in restenosis report varied results. we tested whether c-reactive protein (crp) or pathogen burden (seropositivity to 0, 1, 2, or 3 pathogens, of chlamydia pneumoniae [cpn], cytomegalovirus [cmv], or helicobacter pylori [hpy]) predict c ...	2002	12228787
cytokine and chemokine mrna produced in synovial tissue chronically infected with chlamydia trachomatis and c. pneumoniae.	we used a highly quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) assay system to define the steady-state levels of mrna encoding a large panel of soluble mediators of inflammation in synovial tissues from patients with chronic arthritis infected with chlamydia trachomatis versus c. pneumoniae.	2002	12233874
respiratory symptoms, asthma, atopy and chlamydia pneumoniae igg antibodies in a general population sample of young adults.	this study was designed to test the association of chlamydia pneumoniae infection with respiratory symptoms and atopy.	2002	12236561
cns infection with chlamydia pneumoniae complicated by multiple strokes.		2002	12242570
role of antibiotics for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.	to evaluate the data regarding the use of antibiotic therapy for the prevention of cardiovascular events.	2002	12243615
[treatment of patients with a tia or a stroke].	patients in the acute phase of a stroke ought to be sent to a centre with a well-organised 'stroke unit' where thrombolysis is possible. the integrated approach at a stroke unit is associated with a better outcome than treatment in a general neurology ward. intravenous thrombolysis can be carried out responsibly if the treatment is started within 3 hours of the onset of clinical symptoms and if certain conditions are satisfied. however, preventive measures provide the greatest benefit to patient ...	2002	12244771
serum immunoglobulin g antibodies to chlamydial heat shock protein 60 but not to human and bacterial homologs are associated with coronary artery disease.	evidence for an association between chlamydia pneumoniae infection and coronary artery disease (cad) has been reported by numerous studies, cross-reactive heat shock protein (hsp) antibody responses have been causally linked to cad, and the severity of chlamydial disease pathogenesis correlates with hsp serology. our aim was to determine if chlamydial hsp (chsp) antibody responses are predictive of cad.	2002	12270859
presence of chlamydia pneumoniae in abdominal aortic aneurysms is not associated with increased activity of matrix metalloproteinases.	to test the hypothesis that the presence of chlamydia pneumoniae (c. pneumoniae) in the wall of abdominal aortic aneurysms (aaa) is associated with increased activity of matrix metalloproteinase (mmp)-2 and/or mmp-9.	2002	12323181
chlamydia pneumoniae infection associated with enhanced mri spinal lesions in multiple sclerosis.	cerebrospinal fluid (csf) from 66 patients with multiple sclerosis (ms) and 25 patients with other neurological diseases (ond) were examined for the infection of chlamydia pneumoniae by culture, polymerase chain reaction (pcr) assay, and determination of antibodies to c. pneumoniae. pcr was positive not only in 9 of 28 (32%) patients with ms but also in 2 patents with inflammatory disorders in 15 (13%) ond controls (p = 0.18). viable c. pneumoniae was isolated from one patient with ms and one wi ...	2002	12356213
association of circulating chlamydia pneumoniae dna with cardiovascular disease: a systematic review.	chlamydia pneumoniae antigens, nucleic acids, or intact organisms have been detected in human atheroma. however, the presence of antibody does not predict subsequent cardiovascular (cv) events. we performed a systematic review to determine whether the detection of c. pneumoniae dna in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pbmc) was associated with cv disease.	2002	12359046
failure to detect chlamydia pneumoniae in senile calcific aortic stenosis or calcified congenital bicuspid aortic valve by immunofluorescence, polymerase chain reaction and electron microscopy.	chlamydia pneumoniae has been identified in arterial atherosclerosis. aortic valves affected by senile calcific aortic stenosis (scas) or calcification of a congenital bicuspid valve (ccbav) may have interior environments similar to atherosclerosis. this study aimed to detect c. pneumoniae within either scas or ccbav.	2002	12361842
[infections and coronary heart diseases].	the role of inflammatory mechanisms in the initiation, progression and clinically expression of atherosclerosis is increasingly appreciated, and a large number of review have been published on associations between of coronary heart disease and various bacterial and viral agents. this review provides a systematic overview of the available the epidemiological and clinical studies on coronary heart disease and chlamydia pneumoniae, helicobacter pylori, cytomegalovirus and dental disease as well as ...	2002	12362510
a 22-year-old woman with fulminant chlamydia pneumoniae pneumonia.	chlamydia pneumoniae (c. pneumoniae) is a common pathogen of community-acquired pneumonia. the clinical features of infection caused by c. pneumoniae are usually mild and it does not progress into respiratory failure in young people. we describe a healthy, immunologically intact, 22-year-old woman with severe respiratory failure caused by c. pneumoniae accompanied by aspergillosis. the infection rapidly progressed and required mechanical ventilation. c. pneumoniae infection should be taken into ...	2002	12365599
effect of azithromycin on endothelial function of patients with coronary artery disease and evidence of chlamydia pneumoniae infection.		2002	12370232
chlamydia pneumoniae infection and its role in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.	chlamydia pneumoniae (cp) is a common cause of respiratory tract infections, and several studies have asked whether it may play a pathogenic role in connection with bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd). evidence that cp infection is associated with these diseases is a cardinal item. however, evaluation of cp infection is hampered by difficulties in obtaining agreement on the definition of a gold standard. in the literature, serology is based on different cutoff point ...	2002	12371533
asymmetric directional mutation pressures in bacteria.	when there are no strand-specific biases in mutation and selection rates (that is, in the substitution rates) between the two strands of dna, the average nucleotide composition is theoretically expected to be a = t and g = c within each strand. deviations from these equalities are therefore evidence for an asymmetry in selection and/or mutation between the two strands. by focusing on weakly selected regions that could be oriented with respect to replication in 43 out of 51 completely sequenced b ...	2002	12372146
essential hypertension is associated with chlamydia pneumoniae but not epstein-barr antibodies.		2002	12372683
a patient with adult still's disease with an increased chlamydia pneumoniae antibody titer.	adult still's disease is an important differential diagnosis of pyretic disease and it does not necessarily appear to be a distinct disease entity. the etiology of adult still's disease is not yet known. however, it has been considered that adult still's disease may be triggered by certain infections, such as the coxsackie, parvo b19, rubella, mumps, epstein-barr, and cytomegalo virus, as well as mycoplasma, toxoplasma, and so on. recently, we experienced a patient with adult still's disease wit ...	2002	12373492
failure to detect chlamydia pneumoniae in aortic valves and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients undergoing aortic valve replacement in norway.	the association of chlamydia pneumoniae with atherosclerosis is still controversial. reports from different laboratories have varied widely and "gold standards" for the detection of c. pneumoniae are lacking. in the present study, aortic valves and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 48 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement were examined for the presence of c. pneumoniae using a nested pcr. c. pneumoniae-specific dna was not detected in any of the clinical samples. no pcr inhibition w ...	2002	12374356
chlamydia pneumoniae infection: which role in atherosclerosis?		2002	12374525
early impairment of coronary flow reserve is not associated with chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies.	chlamydia pneumoniae infection has been associated with atherosclerosis by sero-epidemiological, histopathological and interventional studies, and animal experiments. we hypothesized that if chlamydial infection is causative of atherosclerosis, the occurrence of antibodies against c. pneumoniae should be associated with coronary vasomotor dysfunction - an early sign of atherosclerosis.	2002	12375580
inflammatory predictors of mortality in the scandinavian simvastatin survival study.	the predictive value of specific markers of infection and autoimmunity for coronary events, such as the effects of statins on inflammation, is still controversial.	2002	12375804
infectious background of patients with a history of acute anterior uveitis.	to study the infectious background of patients with a history of acute anterior uveitis (aau) and healthy control subjects.	2002	12379526
selection of mutant cell lines resistant to infection by chlamydia spp [corrected].	the lytic outcome of natural infection by chlamydia trachomatis was exploited to select cho (chinese hamster ovary) cells, following chemical mutagenesis, that were deficient in their ability to sustain productive chlamydial infection. four distinct mutant cell phenotypes with defects in either attachment or postattachment mechanisms that are required for infection by c. trachomatis and chlamydia pneumoniae were characterized.	2002	12379725
a new family of highly variable proteins in the chlamydophila pneumoniae genome.	chlamydiaceae are obligate intracellular bacterial pathogens characterized by a wide range of vertebrate host, tissue tropism and spectrum of diseases. to get insights into the biological mechanisms involved in these differences, we have put forward a computational and experimental procedure to identify the genome recombination hotspots, as frequent sequence variation allows rapid adaptation to environmental changes. we find a larger potential for recombination in chlamydophila pneumoniae genome ...	2002	12384581
treatment of chlamydia pneumoniae infection and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.	chronic obstructive lung disease (copd) is a general term for chronic, irreversible lung disease that combines qualities of emphysema and chronic bronchitis. the standard definition of chronic bronchitis is a productive cough for three months per year (for at least two consecutive years) without an underlying aetiology. acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis (aecb) represents a common complaint that leads patients to seek medical attention. copd and aecb are directly responsible for the overus ...	2002	12387692
chlamydia pneumoniae in community-acquired pneumonia: seven years of experience.	to determine the prevalence of chlamydia pneumoniae in community-acquired pneumonia during a period of seven years.	2002	12387767
a casuistic immunologic response in primary and repeated chlamydophila pneumoniae infections in an immunocompetent individual.	a casuistic immunologic response in primary and repeated chlamydophila pneumoniae infection is described. the primary c pneumoniae infection was documented as laboratory accident in late 1990. the immunologic response was mediated mainly through production of igm antibodies with only a marginal igg and iga increase near the cut-off value. the second episode of respiratory illness in the summer of 1999 that was clinically compatible with acute c. pneumoniae infection was characterised by only inc ...	2002	12387780
cefditoren, a new aminothiazolyl cephalosporin.	cefditoren pivoxil, an oral third-generation cephalosporin, was approved by the food and drug administration in september 2001. it has been used in japan for several years. the greatest therapeutic potential of cefditoren appears to be its activity against gram-positive and gram-negative organisms causing respiratory tract infections and skin and skin-structure infections, such as haemophilus influenzae, streptococcus pneumoniae, and moraxella catarrhalis. cefditoren is also effective against me ...	2002	12389878
prevalence of antibody to chlamydia pneumoniae in residents of japan, the solomon islands, and nepal.	sera of 4,050 residents from japan, 276 from the solomon islands, and 602 from nepal were tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine the prevalence of antibody to chlamydia pneumoniae. the prevalence of igg and iga antibodies was significantly higher in the solomon islands (64.9% and 82.2%) and nepal (73.1%, and 69.8%) than in japan (53.6% and 41.1%). these prevalence rates increased throughout the teenage years in the solomon islands and japan and leveled off with age, whereas ...	2002	12389943
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: role of bacteria and guide to antibacterial selection in the older patient.	chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) is a common problem in the elderly. the disease is characterised by intermittent worsening of symptoms and these episodes are called acute exacerbations. the best estimate, based on several lines of evidence, is that approximately half of all exacerbations are caused by bacteria. these lines of evidence include studies of lower respiratory tract bacteriology during exacerbations, correlation of airways' inflammation with results of sputum cultures dur ...	2002	12390053
does infection with chlamydia pneumoniae and/or helicobacter pylori increase the expression of endothelial cell adhesion molecules in humans?	to investigate if chlamydia pneumoniae and/or helicobacter pylori seropositivity is associated with elevated levels of soluble endothelial cell adhesion molecules (scams) as markers of atherosclerotic activity.	2002	12390284
[community-acquired pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and severe sepsis due to chlamydia pneumoniae].		2002	12392655
the association of seropositivity to helicobacter pylori, chlamydia pneumoniae, and cytomegalovirus with risk of cardiovascular disease: a prospective study.	we sought to determine whether seropositivity to helicobacter pylori, chlamydia pneumoniae, and cytomegalovirus (cmv) is an independent predictor of incident cardiovascular disease.	2002	12392829
chlamydia pneumoniae inside the atherosclerotic plaque--does it affect plaque inflammation and plaque progression?		2002	12393086
chlamydophila pneumoniae (chlamydia pneumoniae) accelerates the formation of complex atherosclerotic lesions in apo e3-leiden mice.	atherosclerosis is an inflammatory process and is characterised by the presence of t-lymphocytes in the lesions. to study the role of chlamydophila pneumoniae (c. pneumoniae) in this process and the effect of infection on t-cell influx, we infected apo e3-leiden mice with c. pneumoniae and investigated the effect on lesion development and t-cell influx in atherosclerotic lesions at different time points post infection (pi).	2002	12393097
chlamydia pneumoniae infections prevent the programmed cell death on thp-1 cell line.	chlamydia pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular bacterium which frequently causes airway infection in humans and has been implicated in chronic inflammatory disease and atherosclerosis. here we show that infection with c. pneumoniae protects thp-1 cells against the apoptosis which spontaneously occurs in macrophages in the absence of an activation signal. analysis by flow cytometry at different post-infection times revealed that 50+/-7% of thp-1 cells were apoptotic at 48 h after onset of the ...	2002	12393203
kn-62 enhances chlamydia pneumoniae-induced p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation in murine fibroblasts and attenuates in vitro infection.	chlamydia pneumoniae elementary bodies were demonstrated to increase the proliferation of murine fibroblast cell line l-929 and rapidly activate p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (mapk) in a protein kinase c (pkc) and protein kinase a (pka)-independent way. ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (cam kinase) inhibitor kn-62 significantly enhanced c. pneumoniae-induced mapk phosphorylation, suggesting negative control of cam kinase pathway on the mapk cascade. in in vitro infection ass ...	2002	12393215
[chronic pharyngitis and macrolides].	we have noticed that macrolides can improve the main symptoms of many patients with chronic pharyngitis. we feel that the efficacy of macrolides for chronic pharyngitis can be due to the anti-inflammatory effect of this group of antibiotics. however, we think that at present the use of macrolides is not the therapy of choice for chronic pharyngitis.	2002	12402495
atherosclerosis: lipid infiltration or chlamydia pneumoniae infection?		2002	12403680
chlamydial heat-shock protein-60 antibody and correlation with chlamydia pneumoniae in atherosclerotic plaques.	a study was performed to determine whether serum antibody to chlamydial heat-shock protein-60 (chsp-60) and c-reactive protein (crp) were associated with the presence of chlamydia pneumoniae in atheromatous plaques in 75 patients. the mean (+/-sd) elisa optical density (od) of anti-chsp-60 was 0.19+/-0.15 in 54 patients with detectable c. pneumoniae antigen, versus an od of 0.11+/-0.08 in 21 patients without detectable c. pneumoniae i antigen (p=.008). higher anti-chsp-60 at an od > or =0.12 was ...	2002	12404163
procoagulant and inflammatory response of virus-infected monocytes.	monocytes play a prominent role in inflammation, coagulation and atherosclerosis by their ability to produce tissue factor (tf) and cytokines. the aim of the present study was to establish whether virus-infected monocytes initiate coagulation. in addition, the production of cytokines by monocytes may accelerate the chronic process of atherosclerosis and may contribute to coronary syndromes by eliciting plaque instability.	2002	12406025
molecular detection and seroepidemiology of the chlamydia pneumoniae bacteriophage (phicpn1).	recent whole-genome analysis has demonstrated limited genetic variation in chlamydia pneumoniae, with one strain (ar39) containing a 4,524 nucleotide single-stranded dna bacteriophage, phicpn1. using pcr, reverse transcription (rt)-pcr, and western blotting, we confirmed the presence and functional expression of phicpn1 in c. pneumoniae strain ar39 and its absence in strain cwl029. six additional epidemiologically distinct clinical isolates of c. pneumoniae also did not contain phicpn1. we gener ...	2002	12409367
impact of infectious burden on progression of carotid atherosclerosis.	recent findings suggest a causative role of infections in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. the extent of atherosclerosis and the prognosis of patients with atherosclerosis seem to be increased by the number of infections to which an individual has been exposed. in a prospective study, we evaluated the effect of 8 pathogens and the aggregate pathogen burden on the progression of carotid atherosclerosis.	2002	12411646
leukocyte count is associated with aortic arch plaque thickness.	leukocyte count has been associated with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, including carotid plaque thickness, in several studies. we hypothesized that white blood cell count is associated with aortic arch plaque thickness (aapt).	2002	12411647
chlamydia pneumoniae immunoglobulin a reactivation and airway inflammation in acute asthma.	infection with chlamydia pneumoniae can trigger acute asthma and is associated with severe chronic asthma. the aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between airway inflammation and serological response to c. pneumoniae in acute severe asthma. subjects (n=54) were recruited within 4 h of presentation to the emergency department with an acute exacerbation of asthma. clinical history taking, sputum induction (0.9% saline), spirometry and acute and convalescent serology for c. pne ...	2002	12412672
comparative study of the presence of chlamydia pneumoniae in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with clinically definite and monosymptomatic multiple sclerosis.	there is considerable controversy concerning the evidence for the presence of chlamydia pneumoniae in the cerebrospinal fluid (csf) of both multiple sclerosis (ms) patients and patients with other neurological diseases (ond). in order to clarify this issue, the laboratories at vanderbilt university medical center (vumc) and the university of south florida (usf) examined the reproducibility of their respective pcr assays for the detection of c. pneumoniae dna in the csf of a common group of ms pa ...	2002	12414770
oro-dental bacteria in various atherosclerotic arteries.	chlamydia pneumoniae dna has been detected in at least 40% of all major arteries affected by atherosclerosis, but several other microorganisms have also been detected. in this study, diseased vessels were evaluated for the presence of the dna of seven oro-dental bacteria and two nonoral bacteria. a polymerase chain reaction technique was employed using primer pairs based on 16s rrna genes. of 32 specimens tested, 10 (31.2%) were dna positive: seven for actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and th ...	2002	12415477
[acute chlamydial lesions of the nervous system: etiology, diagnosis, clinical aspects].	the examination of 180 patients with acute neuroinfection (105 males, 75 females at the age from 18 to 45 years) has detected c. trachomatis in 23.8%, c. pneumoniae in 66.6%, c. psittaci in 9.5% patients. acute and chlamydial lesions of the central nervous system were characterized by all forms of neuroinfection: serous and purulent meningitides, meningoencephalitides. development of acute neuroinfection is accompanied by sluggish chlamydial infection of the viscera.	2002	12416222
chlamydia pneumoniae-atherosclerosis link: a sound concept in search for clinical relevance.		2002	12417534
reduced progression of early carotid atherosclerosis after antibiotic treatment and chlamydia pneumoniae seropositivity.	chlamydia pneumoniae (cp) infection has been associated with atherosclerosis, and a beneficial effect of antibiotic therapy on future cardiovascular events was described.	2002	12417538
treating chlamydia pneumoniae in patients with early atherosclerosis.		2002	12417556
[chronic chlamydia pneumoniae infection in patients with coronary disease. relation with increased fibrinogen values].	a number of studies have suggested that infection with chlamydia pneumoniae can play a role in development of atherosclerosis. the goal of this study was to know the prevalence of chronic c. pneumoniae infection, evaluated with igg antibodies seropositivity, in spanish patients with coronary disease and its association with inflammatory markers and cardiovascular risk factors.	2002	12421506
chlamydia pneumoniae antigens facilitate experimental aortic dilatation: prevention with azithromycin.	the purpose of this study was to investigate whether chlamydia pneumoniae (live, antigens, or polysaccharide) cause abdominal aortic aneurysm in a susceptible animal host with appropriate drug reversal.	2002	12422113
prevalence of chlamydia pneumoniae in nonrheumatic stenotic aortic valves.		2002	12422163
high oxidized ldl and elevated plasma homocysteine contribute to the early reduction of myocardial flow reserve in healthy adults.	impairment of coronary blood flow reserve has been shown to be an early manifestation of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (cad). we studied more closely the contribution of various risk factors on early deterioration of coronary function.	2002	12423319
atypical pathogen infection in adults with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma.	in a serologically based prospective study, acute infections with four atypical pathogens were determined in 100 adults hospitalized for acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma, and compared with the corresponding rate in a matched control group. paired sera were tested using immunofluorescence or enzyme immunoassay methods to establish the serologic diagnosis. in 18 patients (18%), there was evidence of acute infection with mycoplasma pneumoniae, compared with 3% in the control group (p = 0.0006 ...	2003	12426232
chlamydia pneumoniae and the "dutch hypothesis".		2002	12426243
comparison of individuals with and without specific iga antibodies to chlamydia pneumoniae: respiratory morbidity and the metabolic syndrome.	to determine whether a correlation exists between markers for persistent chlamydia pneumoniae infection, respiratory morbidity, and the metabolic syndrome.	2002	12426257
chlamydia pneumoniae and cardiovascular disease.	chlamydia pneumoniae has been detected in atherosclerotic plaques, while seropositivity to this organism confers a slightly increased risk of coronary events. however, no aetiological link has been established; a major difficulty when investigating this link is the lack of a gold standard for diagnosing chronic vessel infection. the outcomes of case-control studies and prospective trials of macrolides in treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease have been ambiguous but suggest a short-t ...	2002	12429006
a chlamydia pneumoniae infection model using established human lymphocyte cell lines.	since current studies indicate possible infection of human lymphocytes with chlamydia (chlamydophila) pneumoniae, establishment of an in vitro c. pneumoniae infection model using lymphocyte cell lines was demonstrated. human lymphoid cell lines (molt 4 [t-cell] and p3hr1 [b-cell]) were utilized for this purpose besides human monocyte cell line (thp-1) and human epithelial cell line (hep-2), as a reference of monocyte/macrophage cells and a positive control for support of c. pneumoniae growth, re ...	2002	12435507
seroprevalence of igg antibodies against chlamydia pneumoniae in chinese, malays and asian indians in singapore.	chlamydia pneumoniae, a bacterium that causes respiratory infections, is probably under-diagnosed. there is also interest in its possible role in the aetiology of coronary heart disease. this is the first population-based seroprevalence survey of c. pneumoniae infection in singapore.	2002	12435775
lack of association between serum immunoreactivity and chlamydia pneumoniae detection in the human aortic wall.	only a few studies have focused the attention on the relation between elevated anti-chlamydia pneumoniae (cp) antibodies and the detection of cp in the arterial wall. the aim of our study is thus to investigate the relationship between immune response to cp and detection of cp in the aortic walls of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm.	2002	12438287
influenza a and b igg seropositivity and coronary atherosclerosis assessed by angiography.	infectious agents, in particular intracellular pathogens that can establish long-term, persistent seropositivity, may play an important role in atherogenesis. the possible association between influenza type a and b infection and angiographically proven coronary artery disease (cad) and the effect of the aggregate pathogen burden on cad was studied by testing blood from 218 patients undergoing coronary angiography for serum igg antibodies to influenza a and b, and for antibodies to four other pat ...	2002	12441011
human herpesvirus 6 and chlamydia pneumoniae as etiologic agents in multiple sclerosis - a critical review.	multiple sclerosis (ms) is thought by many investigators to have an infectious component, and several microorganisms have been associated with the disease during the last three decades. recent studies have implicated both human herpesvirus 6 (hhv-6) and the obligate intracellular bacterium chlamydia pneumoniae in the etiology of ms. as with earlier studies of other potential agents, however, evidence linking either of these organisms to the disease is equivocal. in this article, we review data f ...	2002	12443897
chlamydia pneumoniae.		2002	12445544
relationship of anti-60 kda heat shock protein and anti-cholesterol antibodies to cardiovascular events.	several recent studies have indicated an association between key inflammatory mediators and atherosclerotic diseases. we evaluated whether high levels of antibodies against heat shock proteins and cholesterol (acha) predicted cardiovascular (cv) events.	2002	12451002
adjuvant modulation of the immune responses and the outcome of infection with chlamydia pneumoniae.	immunization with different adjuvants resulted in antithetic outcomes of infection with chlamydia pneumoniae. immunization with the outer major protein-2 from c. pneumoniae (omp-2) emulsified in freund's complete adjuvant (fca) thus increased the susceptibility of mice to infection with the bacteria. the detrimental effect was not observed upon inoculation of irrelevant antigens or major outer membrane protein (momp) in fca, but was also observed after immunization with fca-chlamydial heat shock ...	2002	12452828
the expression, processing and localization of polymorphic membrane proteins in chlamydia pneumoniae strain cwl029.	chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacteria, which are important human pathogens. genome sequences of c. trachomatis and c. pneumoniae have revealed the presence of a chlamydia specific gene family encoding polymorphic outer membrane proteins, pmps. in c. pneumoniae the family comprises twenty-one members, which are all transcribed. in the present study, the expression, processing and localisation of the sixteen full-length pmps in c. pneumoniae strain cwl029 have been further investigated by ...	2002	12453305
reliability of nested pcr for detection of chlamydia pneumoniae dna in atheromas: results from a multicenter study applying standardized protocols.	the present multicenter study was designed to find explanations for the discrepancies in the reported rates of detection of chlamydia pneumoniae dna in endarterectomy specimens. coded identical sets of (i) a c. pneumoniae dna dilution series (panel 1; n = 10), (ii) spiked control tissue specimens (panel 2; n = 10 specimens, including 5 negative controls), and (iii) endarterectomy specimens (panel 3; 15 atheromas, 5 negative controls) were analyzed at four laboratories by three standardized dna e ...	2002	12454131
chlamydia pneumoniae and copd exacerbation.		2002	12454307
new parachlamydial 16s rdna phylotypes detected in human clinical samples.	chlamydiales are important intracellular bacterial pathogens, causing a wide variety of diseases in vertebrates, including humans. besides the well-known species in the family chlamydiaceae, new chlamydial organisms have recently been discovered, forming three new families: parachlamydiaceae, simkaniaceae and waddliaceae. parachlamydia acanthamoebae and simkania negevensis are currently investigated as emerging human respiratory pathogens. additional chlamydial lineages have been discovered by 1 ...	2002	12455703
chlamydial infections of the cardiovascular system.	this paper presents a review on cardiovascular diseases which can be caused by chlamydial infection with the emphasis in the recent development in association between chlamydia pneumoniae and cardiovascular disease. the review includes seroepidemiologic observations; the discovery of c. pneumoniae in atheromatous plaques; in vivo studies using animal models indicating that c. pneumoniae is a co-risk factor of hyperlipidemia for atherosclerosis; in vitro studies demonstrating putative mechanisms ...	2003	12456307
nasal cellularity in 183 unselected schoolchildren aged 9 to 11 years.	although rhinitis is extremely frequent in children, methods for assessing the severity of nasal inflammation produce results with wide variability and hence weak clinical significance. we designed this epidemiologic investigation to define the clinical usefulness of assessing nasal cellularity in children.	2002	12456911
thermal detection of vulnerable plaque.	in 1996, we showed that inflamed atherosclerotic plaques give off more heat and that vulnerable plaques may be detected by measuring their temperature. plaque temperature is correlated directly with inflammatory cell density and inversely with the distance of the cell clusters from the luminal surface. it is inversely related to the density of the smooth muscle cells. we found no significant association between temperature heterogeneity and presence of chlamydia pneumoniae in plaque or the gross ...	2002	12459426
chlamydia pneumoniae as an emerging risk factor in cardiovascular disease.	recent appreciation of atherosclerosis as a chronic, inflammatory disease has rekindled efforts to examine the role that infectious agents may play in atherogenesis. in particular, much interest has focused on infection with chlamydia pneumoniae. the possibility that a prokaryote contributes to atherogenesis has high clinical interest, as c pneumoniae infection may be a treatable risk factor. to review the evidence implicating c pneumoniae in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, we searched medl ...	2002	12460096
intrastrain and interstrain genetic variation within a paralogous gene family in chlamydia pneumoniae.	chlamydia pneumoniae causes human respiratory diseases and has recently been associated with atherosclerosis. analysis of the three recently published c. pneumoniae genomes has led to the identification of a new gene family (the cpn 1054 family) that consists of 11 predicted genes and gene fragments. each member encodes a polypeptide with a hydrophobic domain characteristic of proteins localized to the inclusion membrane.	2002	12460455
serum procalcitonin concentrations in bacterial pneumonia in children: a negative result in primary healthcare settings.	a microbe-specific diagnosis in community-acquired pneumonia (cap) is difficult in children, and studies on nonspecific chest radiographic and host response markers have been inconsistent. serum procalcitonin (pct) is a newly recognized, promising marker for differentiating between bacterial and viral infections. serum pct was measured by a luminometric assay in 190 children with cap diagnosed in the primary healthcare setting during a population-based study in a geographically defined populatio ...	2003	12461740
primary atypical pneumonia in children.		2002	12466582
chlamydia pneumoniae in carotid artery atherosclerosis: a comparison of its presence in atherosclerotic plaque, healthy vessels, and circulating leukocytes from the same individuals.	there is growing clinical and experimental evidence that infections with chlamydia pneumoniae might contribute to the development and progression of atherosclerosis. however, studies detecting the pathogen in atherosclerotic lesions examined either only atherosclerotic vessels or control vessels without atherosclerosis obtained from a different group of individuals. we analyzed atherosclerotic plaques of the carotid artery, samples of apparently healthy greater saphenous veins, and circulating l ...	2002	12468766
effect of acute chlamydia pneumoniae infection on lipoprotein metabolism in nih/s mice.	chlamydia pneumoniae is a well-known cause of respiratory infections, globally. chronic c. pneumoniae infection has been associated with atherosclerosis. the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of acute c. pneumoniae infection on serum lipid levels and some regulatory proteins/enzymes in nih/s mice. female mice (n=30) were intranasally infected with 5.3*10(5) inclusion forming units (ifu) of c. pneumoniae and control mice (n = 30) were inoculated with buffer. six uninoculated ...	2002	12469903
chlamydia pneumoniae and atherosclerosis.	chlamydia pneumoniae, a human respiratory pathogen, has been linked to atherosclerotic disease based on sero-epidemiologic studies, direct detection of the organism in atherosclerotic lesions, animal experiments and tissue culture. in this review paper we propose to interpret results in line with the biology of chlamydia with persistence of chlamydia pneumoniae antigens in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis rather than viable bacteriae.	2002	12471763
chlamydial conjunctivitis (in adults), uveitis, and reactive arthritis, including sara. sexually acquired reactive arthritis.	this chapter deals with chlamydia -induced ocular and rheumatic diseases of the adult. all of these may follow a primary urogenital infection with chlamydia trachomatis in genetically predisposed patients. besides the infection with chlamydia trachomatis, infections with chlamydia pneumoniae and chlamydia psittaci are also discussed as possible causative agents. chlamydial conjunctivitis is frequently a secondary infection, and the organism is transferred from the urogenital tract to the eye by ...	2002	12473284
proteome analysis of chlamydia pneumoniae.		2002	12474393
clinical depression and inflammatory risk markers for coronary heart disease.	despite mounting evidence that psychiatric depression heightens risk for cardiac morbidity and mortality, little is known about the mechanisms responsible for this association. the present study examined the relation between depression and the expression of inflammatory risk markers implicated in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (chd). one hundred adults were enrolled (68% women, 48% caucasian, 48% african-american, mean age 30 +/- 2 years). fifty subjects met the diagnostic criteria f ...	2002	12480034
chlamydia pneumoniae infection alters the junctional complex proteins of human brain microvascular endothelial cells.	chlamydia pneumoniae has been identified and associated with multiple sclerosis (ms) and alzheimer's disease (ad) pathogenesis, although the relationship of this organism in these diseases remains controversial. we have hypothesized that one potential avenue of infection is through the junctional complexes between the blood-brain barrier (bbb) endothelia. c. pneumoniae is characteristically a respiratory pathogen, but has been implicated in atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and neuroinfl ...	2002	12480099
infection of myocytes with chlamydiae.	chlamydial infection has been associated with myocarditis in animals and humans. however, the mechanism resulting in myocarditis following infection is not known. here, evidence is presented that both chlamydia trachomatis and chlamydia pneumoniae can infect and replicate in myocytes isolated from neonate rats. the infected myocytes contained chlamydial inclusions, indicative of chlamydial growth, and infectious particles were recovered from the infected myocytes. it was also found that chlamydi ...	2002	12480899
role of igg-seropositivity to chlamydia pneumoniae in early thrombotic events after coronary stent placement.	since infection of endothelial or smooth muscle cells with chlamydia pneumoniae increased expression of tissue factor and plasminogen activator inhibitor i (pai-1), c. pneumoniae might be involved in triggering acute thrombotic events in patients with coronary artery disease. therefore, we explored a potential relationship between igg-seropositivity to c. pneumoniae and early thrombotic events after coronary stent placement.	2003	12482564
chlamydia pneumoniae in central retinal artery occlusion.	there is increasing evidence that the common respiratory human pathogen chlamydia pneumoniae has a causative role in atherosclerosis. we investigated the association of this pathogen with acute central retinal artery occlusion (crao).	2002	12485289
effect of roxithromycin treatment on the endothelial function of chlamydia pneumoniae seropositive men suffering from peripheral arterial occlusive disease.		2002	12485976
chlamydia pneumoniae infection of the central nervous system worsens experimental allergic encephalitis.	experimental allergic encephalitis (eae) is considered by many to be a model for human multiple sclerosis. intraperitoneal inoculation of mice with chlamydia pneumoniae, after immunization with neural antigens, increased the severity of eae. accentuation of eae required live infectious c. pneumoniae, and the severity of the disease was attenuated with antiinfective therapy. after immunization with neural antigens, systemic infection with c. pneumoniae led to the dissemination of the organism int ...	2002	12486106
does chronic chlamydia pneumoniae infection increase the risk of myocardial injury? insights from patients with non-st-elevation acute coronary syndromes.	cumulative evidence suggests a positive association between chlamydia pneumoniae (cpn) infection and risk of future coronary events among patients with stable coronary artery disease. however, its prognostic role in unstable coronary syndromes is less well defined. because cpn immunoglobulin a (iga) may be a more reliable indicator of chronic infection than immunoglobulin g (igg), we speculated that in patients with non-st-elevation acute coronary syndromes (acs), this marker might serve as a mo ...	2002	12486422
community-acquired chlamydia pneumoniae pneumonia in japan: a prospective multicenter community-acquired pneumonia study.	to investigate the clinical features of chlamydia pneumoniae pneumonia in japan and to evaluate the newly created japanese community-acquired pneumonia (cap) guidelines.	2002	12487164