Publications

the bronchial lavage of pediatric patients with asthma contains infectious chlamydia.	there has been a worldwide increase in the incidence of asthma, and the disease has greatly impacted the public health care system. chlamydia pneumoniae has been reported as a possible contributing factor in asthma. the organism has been detected by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) in bronchial tissue, but there has been no direct evidence of viability. to determine the frequency of viable chlamydia in children, blood and bronchoalveolar lavage were collected from 70 pediatric patients undergoing ...	2005	15735056
chlamydia pneumoniae as risk factor of cardiovascular disease in dialysis patients.		2005	15742303
secondary prevention of atherosclerosis through chlamydia pneumoniae eradication (space trial): a randomised clinical trial in patients with peripheral arterial disease.	sero-epidemiological and experimental studies suggest that chlamydia pneumoniae infections play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. clinical trials have shown contradictory results regarding the efficacy of antibiotics to prevent atherosclerosis-related complications in patients with coronary artery disease. our aim was to study the effect of a short course of azithromycin on the incidence of cardiovascular events and peripheral vascular function in patients with stable peri ...	2005	15749042
effect of clarithromycin treatment on chlamydia pneumoniae in vascular tissue of patients with coronary artery disease: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.	several small clinical trials have indicated that antibiotic treatment of chlamydia pneumoniae infection is associated with a better outcome in patients with coronary artery disease (cad). it has not been demonstrated whether antibiotic treatment eradicates c. pneumoniae from vascular tissue. the aim of the present study was to assess the effect of clarithromycin on the presence of c. pneumoniae in the vascular tissue of patients with cad. patients who had cad and who were waiting for coronary a ...	2005	15750103
chlamydia pneumoniae seropositivity and risk of ischemic stroke: a nested case-control study.	chlamydia pneumoniae has been linked with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but data on stroke are sparse. we examined whether seropositivity to chlamydia pneumoniae was associated with the risk of ischemic stroke in a nested case-control study. data on chlamydia pneumoniae serology, lifestyle factors, and medical history were obtained at baseline. verified cases (n = 254) were compared with gender- and age-matched controls (n = 254). positive iga (> or = 1:16) or igg (> or = 1:64) titer ...	2005	15756905
serum lipid profiles poorly correlate with chlamydia pneumoniae, helicobacter pylori, and cytomegalovirus seropositivity in prospectively followed-up healthy children.	chronic chlamydia pneumoniae (cpn), helicobacter pylori (hp), and herpes virus infections have been associated with atherogenic serum lipid profile and an excess of cardiovascular events in adults. because mechanisms leading to atherosclerosis are active since early childhood, we examined whether cpn, hp, or cytomegalovirus (cmv) seropositivity relates to serum lipid, lipoprotein, or apolipoprotein concentrations in children. we also looked for factors increasing probability of cpn seropositivit ...	2005	15692096
bronchoalveolar lavage in immunocompromised patients with haematological malignancy--value of new microbiological methods.	to assess the usefulness of new culture-independent microbiological methods to analyse bronchoalveolar lavage (bal) fluid from haematological patients with clinical pneumonia.	2005	15693789
acute inflammatory state during influenza infection and endothelial function.	chronic inflammatory stimulus seems to contribute to atherosclerotic process. several studies have established a relationship between infective agents as chlamydia pneumoniae, herpes virus and cytomegalovirus and atherosclerotic lesions. aim of this study was to investigate the effects of influenza infective state on endothelial function of healthy young subjects, expressed as brachial flow-mediated vasodilation (fmv) and soluble form of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sicam-1) and vascular c ...	2005	15694944
the pneumoplex assays, a multiplex pcr-enzyme hybridization assay that allows simultaneous detection of five organisms, mycoplasma pneumoniae, chlamydia (chlamydophila) pneumoniae, legionella pneumophila, legionella micdadei, and bordetella pertussis, and its real-time counterpart.	respiratory disease caused by atypical bacteria remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality for adults and children, despite the widespread use of effective antimicrobials agents. culture remains the "gold standard" for the detection of these agents. however, culture is labor-intensive, takes several days to weeks for growth, and can be very insensitive for the detection of some of these organisms. newer singleplex pcr diagnostic tests are sensitive and specific, but multiple assays wo ...	2005	15695646
origins of atopy in pediatric asthma.		2005	15696110
chlamydia pneumoniae in pbmc: reproducibility of the ompa nested touchdown pcr.	the aim of our study was to evaluate whether the replicate pcr testing may provide more accurate estimates of c. pneumoniae dna prevalence in pbmc of patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. clinical sensitivity and reproducibility of ompa nested touchdown pcr was also performed. clinical sensitivity and reproducibility was examined by testing c. pneumoniae-negative pbmc spiked with serial dilutions of semipurified c. pneumoniae elementary bodies (from 8 to 0.002 ifu/ml). detection of c. pneu ...	2005	15698516
chlamydia pneumoniae serology in donors and recipients and the risk of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome after lung transplantation.	bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (bos) is a common late complication in lung transplant recipients (ltr). chlamydia pneumoniae (c. pneumoniae) is a common but difficult to diagnose respiratory pathogen with a propensity to latency.	2005	15699755
treatment with clarithromycin prior to coronary artery bypass graft surgery does not prevent subsequent cardiac events.	recently, it has been suggested that chlamydia pneumoniae possibly plays a possible role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. we investigated whether treatment with clarithromycin prior to coronary artery bypass graft (cabg) surgery would prevent subsequent cardiovascular events and mortality.	2005	15668857
chlamydia pneumoniae infection in hiv-positive patients: prevalence and relationship with lipid profile.	the aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence and impact of chlamydia pneumoniae infection in hiv-positive patients and to establish the relationship between c. pneumoniae infection and lipid profile.	2005	15670249
chronic chlamydia pneumoniae infection is a risk factor for the development of copd.	smoking is the major risk factor for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd), but epidemiological data suggest that other etiological factors may also be involved. chlamydia pneumoniae (cpn) is an established cause of acute and chronic upper and lower respiratory tract infections. data obtained from in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that cpn infection can be involved in the development of both small airways disease and emphysema, the two major components of copd. the ...	2005	15672844
etiology of community-acquired pneumonia treated in an ambulatory setting.	very few studies have addressed the etiology of community-acquired pneumonia (cap) treated in an ambulatory setting.	2005	15672850
high-yield culture and purification of chlamydiaceae bacteria.	research on intracellular bacteria of the family chlamydiaceae, and the diseases they cause, requires large amounts of infectious elementary bodies (eb). we describe an approach that maximizes the generation of chlamydia pneumoniae, chlamydia trachomatis, chlamydia abortus, or chlamydia pecorum ebs in several replication cycles over approximately 10 days or more in a saturated equilibrium monolayer cell culture system. buffalo green monkey kidney (bgmk) cells, human epidermoid carcinoma-2 (hep-2 ...	2005	15676192
methodological aspects affecting the infectivity of chlamydia pneumoniae in cell cultures in vitro.	the effect of culture medium, washing, temperature, and sonication on the infectivity of chlamydia pneumoniae for hl cells in experiments with heparin or heparinase treatment was studied. the presence of fetal calf serum (fcs) was necessary, and simple washing of elementary bodies increased their infectivity titer. prolonged sonication was detrimental. detailed description of the experimental conditions is necessary in studies of chlamydial attachment and infectivity.	2005	15676202
overcoming current obstacles in the management of bacterial community-acquired pneumonia in ambulatory children.		2005	15678226
relation of chlamydia pneumoniae infection to documented coronary artery disease in shiraz, southern iran.	the possibility that infectious agents may trigger a cascade of reactions leading to inflammation, atherogenesis, and vascular thrombotic events has recently been raised. chlamydia pneumoniae is one of those that have received the most investigative attention with respect to coronary artery disease (cad). this study was undertaken for the first time in shiraz, iran to determine this relationship. a case-control study was conducted in 167 subjects (81 women and 86 men) who underwent coronary angi ...	2005	15678255
chlamydia pneumoniae induces aponecrosis in human aortic smooth muscle cells.	the intracellular bacterium chlamydia pneumoniae is suspected to play a role in formation and progression of atherosclerosis. many studies investigated cell death initiation versus inhibition by chlamydia pneumoniae in established cell lines but nothing is known in primary human aortic smooth muscle cells, a cell type among others known to be involved in the formation of the atherosclerotic plaque. type of cell death was analyzed by various methods in primary aortic smooth muscle cells after inf ...	2005	15663783
detection of chlamydia pneumoniae dna in the coronary arteries and bypass in three patients with diffuse coronary artery disease.		2005	15665532
microbiological profile of community-acquired pneumonia in adults over the last 20 years.	to assess any change in the microbiological profile of community-acquired pneumonia (cap) in our region over the last 20 years.	2005	15667910
detection of c. pneumoniae by polymerase chain reaction-enzyme immunoassay in abdominal aortic aneurysm walls and its association with rupture.	serological studies have suggested that one of the risk factors for aneurysm development is c. pneumoniae infection. the purpose of this study was to evaluate whether there is an association between the presence of c. pneumoniae dna in aneurysms and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms.	2005	15649721
chlamydia pneumoniae infections in mouse models: relevance for atherosclerosis research.	mouse models have been frequently used in the study of chlamydia pneumoniae (also known as chlamydophila pneumoniae) infections. this gram-negative obligate intracellular bacterium causes respiratory infections, followed by dissemination of the bacterium to various organs throughout the body, including cardiovascular tissues, supporting the current hypothesis of a relationship between c. pneumoniae and atherosclerosis. recently, clinical trials evaluated the effect of antichlamydial antibiotics ...	2005	15639470
chlamydophila pneumoniae respiratory tract infection aggravates therapy refractory bronchitis or pneumonia in childhood.	chlamydophila pneumoniae was frequently found in bronchial secretions of children with therapy-refractory bronchitis or pneumonia. it was studied, how the agent modifies the course of disease and what findings are associated with the infection.	2005	15640964
identification of new potential vaccine candidates against chlamydia pneumoniae by multiple screenings.	chlamydia are intracellular bacteria associated to serious human disease. a vaccine has proved difficult to obtain so far, and current opinions agree that multi-antigen combinations may be required to induce optimal protective responses. in order to identify new potential vaccine candidates, we recently screened the chlamydia pneumoniae (cpn) genome and described 53 recombinant proteins which elicited antibodies binding to purified cpn cells. we now report that six proteins in this group can als ...	2005	15629361
interaction between components of the type iii secretion system of chlamydiaceae.	members of the family chlamydiaceae possess at least 13 genes, distributed throughout the chromosome, that are homologous with genes of known type iii secretion systems (tts). the aim of this study was to use putative tts proteins of chlamydophila pneumoniae, whose equivalents in other bacterial tts function as chaperones, to identify interactions between chlamydial proteins. using the bacteriomatch two-hybrid vector system (stratagene, la jolla, calif.), lcrh-2 and syce, positions 1021 and 0325 ...	2005	15629918
involvement of chlamydia pneumoniae in atherosclerosis: more evidence for lack of evidence.		2005	15634945
acute hemorrhagic pericarditis in a child with pneumonia due to chlamydophila pneumoniae.	chlamydophila pneumoniae is mainly responsible for respiratory tract infections but has also been associated with endocarditis and myocarditis. we report a case of pneumonia in a child with hemorrhagic pericardial effusion with a positive result by a new c. pneumoniae taqman pcr, suggesting a pericardial inflammation directly induced by c. pneumoniae. c. pneumoniae should be suspected in patients with community-acquired pneumonia and concurrent pericarditis. empirical treatment with azithromycin ...	2005	15635034
community-acquired pneumonia in japan: a prospective ambulatory and hospitalized patient study.	in this study the aetiology of community-acquired pneumonia (cap) in japan was investigated and the incidence of causative pathogens in ambulatory and hospitalized patients was compared. in addition, the roles of chlamydophila felis and chlamydophila pecorum as causes of cap were investigated. five hundred and six patients with cap who visited an outpatient clinic or were admitted to one of three different hospitals were enrolled in this study; 106 of them were outpatients and 400 were hospitali ...	2005	15770027
[part of chlamydia pneumoniae in atherosclerosis and exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma].	chlamydia pneumoniae infection has been often associated with several chronic diseases including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (copd). the spectrum of chlamydia pneumoniae infection has been expanded to the association with coronary heart disease (chd). in morocco, the implication of chlamydia pneumoniae infection in these pathologies is unknown. the aim of our study was to determine the relationship between infection with chlamydia pneumoniae and respiratory pathology and at ...	2005	15771975
matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression is associated with the presence of chlamydia pneumoniae in human coronary atherosclerotic plaques.	to investigate the association between chlamydia pneumoniae and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (mmp-9) in atherosclerotic plaques.	2005	15772219
[detection of mycoplasma pneumoniae and chlamydophila pneumoniae in patients with community acquired pneumonia].	a total of 292 patients with pneumonia confirmed by clinical, roentgenological and laboratory methods, admitted to the hospital from closed communities during the one year period, were examined. the sputa of patients with pneumonia in the acute stage were studied in the polymerase chain reaction (pcr). the predominence of m. pneumoniae and c. pneumoniae causualties in autumn and winter period was established. the monitoring of atypical infective agents with the use of the pcr techniques gives ev ...	2005	15773404
[the immune system, atherosclerosis and persisting infection].	the paper demonstrates that lymph nodes situated in the vicinity of magistral blood vessels are the source of immune and inflammatory response to ldl as the main pathogenetic factor in atherosclerosis. the activation of t-cell-mediated immunity takes place in them at the very early stages of the disease, resulting in forming of cd4+t-lymphocytes, activated mononuclear cells and immunostabilizing b-lymphocytes. the cell changes in lymph nodes correlate with the severity of atherosclerotic lesions ...	2005	15776961
contact of chlamydophila pneumoniae with type ii cell triggers activation of calcium-mediated nf-kappa b pathway.	nuclear factor-kappa b (nf-kappa b) plays an important role in inflammation, proliferation and regulation of apoptosis. the purpose of the present study on type ii cells was to investigate whether chlamydophila pneumoniae contact induces (i) a ca2+ release, that (ii) disrupts f-actin/beta-tubulin cytoskeletal association with nf-kappa b/i kappa b alpha, leading to (iii) a subsequent nf-kappa b activation. incubation of rat type ii pneumocytes with c. pneumoniae caused an intracellular calcium re ...	2005	15777838
effect of chlamydia pneumoniae infection and hyperlipidaemia on the expression of ppargamma, p50 and c-fos in aortic endothelial cells in c57bl/6j mice.	to investigate the effect of c. pneumoniae infection and/or hyperlipidaemia on the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (ppargamma), nuclear factor-kappa b (nf-kappab) and activated protein-1 (ap-1) in aortic endothelial cells in c57bl/6j mice.	2005	15779851
can worms defend our hearts? chronic helminthic infections may attenuate the development of cardiovascular diseases.	the established risk factors for atherosclerosis fail to fully explain the extent and severity of coronary artery diseases in 50% of the patients. thus, the causative agents and processes, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, are being sought. notoriously, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular event rates are much lower in developing countries. clinically, severe infections by intracellular pathogens are widespread mostly in developing countries with poor sanitation, nutrit ...	2005	15780483
atherosclerosis -- an infectious disease?		2005	15780516
chlamydophila pneumoniae antibodies in office workers with and without inflammatory rheumatic diseases in a moisture-damaged building.		2005	15782279
chlamydial infection induces pathobiotype-specific protein tyrosine phosphorylation in epithelial cells.	members of the genus chlamydia are strict obligate intracellular pathogens that exhibit marked differences in host range and tissue tropism despite sharing a remarkable level of genomic synteny. these pathobiotype differences among chlamydiae are also mirrored in their early interactions with cultured mammalian host cells. chlamydial attachment and entry is known to trigger protein tyrosine phosphorylation. in this study, we examined the kinetics and pattern of protein tyrosine phosphorylation i ...	2005	15784533
chlamydia pneumoniae infected macrophages exhibit enhanced plasma membrane fluidity and show increased adherence to endothelial cells.	chlamydia pneumoniae, an intracellular prokaryote, is known to have requirement for some lipids which it is incapable of synthesizing, and these lipids have important fluidizing roles in plasma membrane. we decided to examine if the trafficking of these lipids to c. pneumoniae alters the physicochemical properties of macrophage plasma membrane, affects the expression of genes and proteins of enzymes associated with metabolism of some of these lipids and assess if ca2+ signaling usually induced i ...	2005	15786718
inverse association between chlamydia pneumoniae respiratory tract infection and initiation of asthma or allergic rhinitis in children.	to evaluate the role of chlamydia pneumoniae respiratory tract infection on pediatric asthma, allergic rhinitis or atopic eczema initiation, children of three age groups (n=1211) were prospectively studied for a c. pneumoniae infection using throat swabs and polymerase chain reaction (pcr) with enzyme immunoassay (eia) detection. infected children (study group, sg) were examined monthly until the agent could not be detected, quantifying persistent infection. they were compared with randomly sele ...	2005	15787871
why chlamydia pneumoniae is associated with asthma and other chronic conditions? suggestions from a survey in unselected 9 yr old schoolchildren.	despite numerous studies demonstrating an association between asthma and many other chronic conditions and signs of chlamydia pneumoniae (cp) infection, the role of cp in the pathogenesis of these illness remain still unclear. we investigated the prevalence of cp antigen in the upper airways and the prevalence of detectable cp serum antibodies in an unselected population of 207 9-yr-old schoolchildren. we also sought the presence of asthma, chronic or recurrent respiratory symptoms by means of q ...	2005	15787872
association between chlamydia pneumoniae and acute myocardial infarction in young men in the united states military: the importance of timing of exposure measurement.	several investigators have found that chlamydia pneumoniae and cytomegalovirus infections may be risk factors for coronary heart disease. however, the data remain controversial. to address this hypothesis, data and specimens were collected from a well-established prospective cohort of active-duty personnel from the us military.	2005	15791511
chlamydia pneumoniae and atherosclerosis.		2005	15791512
cd8+ t cells specific for a potential hla-a*0201 epitope from chlamydophila pneumoniae are present in the pbmcs from infected patients.	infection with the common pathogen chlamydophila pneumoniae (cpn, previously chlamydia pneumoniae) has a high prevalence in patients suffering from arteriosclerosis and may trigger or contribute to heart disease. in mice, cd8-positive t cells are critical for the eradication of the infection and the development of immune memory against cpn. although several h2-class i epitopes have been described, no hla-class i-associated peptides from cpn are known. in order to define hla-a*0201 epitopes from ...	2005	15802306
immunocomb chlamydia bivalent assay to study chlamydia species-specific antibodies in patients with coronary heart disease.	serological evidences suggested an association between chlamydia pneumoniae infection and coronary heart disease (chd). efficacy of available serological tests for detection of c. pneumoniae antibody has been debated. the present study was carried-out to assess the efficacy of immunocomb chlamydia bivalent igg assay vis-à-vis micro immunofluorescence (mif) test in detecting c. pneumoniae and c. trachomatis--specific antibodies in patients with chd.	2005	15802759
[pcr-based diagnostics of community-acquired pneumonia of mycoplasmal and chlamydia etiologies].	two hundred and ninety-two patients with pneumonia evidenced by clinical, x-ray and laboratory findings were examined for the purpose of studying the etiological significance of mycoplasma pneumoniae and chlamydophila pneumoniae--atypical pathogens; the patients, members of closed bodies, were admitted to the hospital for as long as one year. pcr was used to examine the sputum of patients who were at exacerbation. it was established that the mentioned pathogens prevailed in autumn and winter. it ...	2005	15804102
immunological factors in the pathogenesis and treatment of age-related macular degeneration.	recent findings indicate that immunological factors are involved not only in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (amd), but also in its treatment. earlier data showing the presence of inflammatory cells in affected areas of amd retinas support this statement. although a possible role for autoimmunity was initially suggested, it has never reached general acceptance. microorganisms have also been implied in the pathogenesis of amd. both serum antibacterial antibody levels and posi ...	2005	15804763
chlamydia pneumoniae infection after lung transplantation.	chlamydia pneumoniae is established as a common agent of acute respiratory tract infection and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. airway disease is a prominent cause of morbidity and mortality after lung transplantation. we investigated the role of c pneumoniae as a pulmonary pathogen after lung transplantation.	2005	15701426
chlamydia pneumoniae infection as a risk factor for subarachnoid hemorrhage.	many risk factors for subarachnoid hemorrhage (sah), such as hypertension and recent infection, have already been established. chlamydia pneumoniae is a common respiratory pathogen that has been implicated as a potential risk factor for hypertension and atherosclerotic diseases. the purpose of the case-control study presented here was to examine the causative relationship between c. pneumoniae infection and sah. serum c. pneumoniae igg and iga antibodies were measured using an enzyme-linked immu ...	2005	15703463
nicotine modulates cytokine production by chlamydia pneumoniae infected human peripheral blood cells.	nicotine, the addictive component of cigarette smoke, has been shown to have immunomodulatory effects. this drug alters proinflammatory cytokine production by immune cells, including lymphocytes, monocytes, and macrophages. the present study focuses on the effects of nicotine on infection by chlamydia pneumoniae (cpn), a ubiquitous intracellular pathogen which causes acute and chronic inflammatory diseases such as pulmonary infections, and may be associated with arthritis and atherosclerosis. pr ...	2005	15710343
pneumonia outbreak associated with group a streptococcus species at a military training facility.	although group a streptococci (gas) infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality, outbreaks of associated pneumonia are rare. we report an outbreak of gas pneumonia that occurred at a us military training camp.	2005	15712072
association of raised titres of antibodies to chlamydia pneumoniae with a history of pre-eclampsia.	to establish the prevalence of chlamydia pneumoniae (c. pneumoniae) infection in a pregnant uk population and to investigate whether c. pneumoniae infection is more common in women with a previous history of pre-eclampsia.	2005	15713143
antibiotics in the prevention of heart attacks.		2005	15680439
single-run, parallel detection of dna from three pneumonia-producing bacteria by real-time polymerase chain reaction.	a molecular assay for parallel detection of three bacteria, chlamydia (c.) pneumoniae, legionella (l.) spp., and mycoplasma (m.) pneumoniae, in clinical specimens by a set of real-time polymerase chain reactions (pcrs) in a single run was evaluated. bacterial dnas were extracted by an automated dna extraction protocol on the magna pure lc system. amplification and detection were done by real-time pcr on the lightcycler (lc) instrument. for amplification, specific oligonucleotides derived from th ...	2005	15681485
effectiveness of beta lactam antibiotics compared with antibiotics active against atypical pathogens in non-severe community acquired pneumonia: meta-analysis.	to systematically compare beta lactam antibiotics with antibiotics active against atypical pathogens in the management of community acquired pneumonia.	2005	15684024
chlamydophila pneumoniae in asthma.		2005	15684309
progression of peripheral arterial occlusive disease is associated with chlamydia pneumoniae seropositivity and can be inhibited by antibiotic treatment.	a possible influence of chlamydia pneumoniae seropositivity on the clinical course of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (paod) has not been investigated previously. though roxithromycin therapy was found to inhibit progression of paod, the nature of this effect (antibiotic or anti-inflammatory) has remained elusive. the course of paod was prospectively assessed in elderly men during 4 years, comparing 51 c. pneumoniae seropositive (igg>/=1:128) with 46 seronegative patients (igg<1:64 and iga ...	2005	15721015
expression of both chlamydia pneumoniae rnase hiis in escherichia coli.	both genes encoding the rnase hiis from chlamydia pneumoniae ar 39 (discriminated as cprnase hiia and cprnase hiib in this report) were cloned and efficiently expressed in escherichia coli. these genes amplified from chlamydial genomes with pcr were digested with restriction endonucleases and then cloned into plasmid pet-28a predigested with the same enzymes. dna sequencing confirmed that the constructs were correct in translation frame and coding sequence. recombinant rnase hiis were over-expre ...	2005	15721777
infectious causes of multiple sclerosis.	multiple sclerosis (ms) is a serious chronic neurological disorder in which demyelination and inflammation occur in the white matter of the cns. the findings of many epidemiological studies and a discordance of ms in monozygotic twins suggest that the disorder is acquired. the most likely cause is a virus because more than 90% of patients with ms have high concentrations of igg, manifest as oligoclonal bands, in the brain and csf. most chronic inflammatory cns disorders are infectious. more indi ...	2005	15721830
chlamydia pneumoniae infection promotes a proliferative phenotype in the vasculature through egr-1 activation in vitro and in vivo.	atherosclerosis is characterized by inflammation and proliferation of vascular cells. the intracellular bacterium chlamydia (chlamydophila) pneumoniae uses blood monocytes [peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pbmcs)] for dissemination, has been found to persist in atherosclerotic lesions, and has been implicated in atherogenesis by small gtpase activation and t lymphocyte recruitment. infection of human coronary artery smooth muscle cells with c. pneumoniae significantly induced mrna and protein ...	2005	15722416
determinants of lumbar artery occlusion among patients with sciatica: a three-year follow-up with magnetic resonance angiography.	we showed previously that chronic chlamydia pneumoniae infection increases the risk of lumbar artery occlusion. we did not evaluate, however, the effect of other risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in combination with this chronic infection. the purpose of this study was to investigate the combined effect of chronic c. pneumoniae infection and other known determinants of artery occlusion in a population of sciatica patients. two-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (mra ...	2005	15723216
design of a multiplex pcr for streptococcus pneumoniae, haemophilus influenzae, mycoplasma pneumoniae and chlamydophila pneumoniae to be used on sputum samples.	a multiplex pcr (mpcr) was developed for simultaneous detection of specific genes for streptococcus pneumoniae (lyta), mycoplasma pneumoniae (p1), chlamydophila pneumoniae (ompa), and haemophilus influenzae (16s rrna, with verification pcr for p6). when the protocol was tested on 257 bacterial strains belonging to 37 different species, no false negatives and only one false positive were noted. one streptococcus mitis out of thirty was positive for lyta. in a pilot application study of 81 sputum ...	2005	15723684
emergence of resistance to rifampin and rifalazil in chlamydophila pneumoniae and chlamydia trachomatis.	although rifamycins have excellent activity against chlamydophila pneumoniae and chlamydia trachomatis in vitro, concerns about the possible development of resistance during therapy have discouraged their use for treatment of chlamydial infections. rifalazil, a new semisynthetic rifamycin with a long half-life, is the most active antimicrobial against c. pneumoniae and c. trachomatis in vitro, indicating its potential for treatment of acute and chronic c. pneumoniae and c. trachomatis infections ...	2005	15728882
activity of cathelicidin peptides against chlamydia spp.	the in vitro activity of six cathelicidin peptides against 25 strains of chlamydia was investigated. smap-29 proved to be the most active peptide, reducing the inclusion numbers of all 10 strains of chlamydia trachomatis tested by > or =50% at 10 microg/ml. this peptide was also active against c. pneumoniae and c. felis.	2005	15728927
detection of chlamydophila pneumoniae in the bone marrow of two patients with unexplained chronic anaemia.	anaemia of chronic disease (acd) is a common finding involving iron deficiency and signs of inflammation. here, we report on two patients with acd where a persistent infection with chlamydophila (chlamydia) pneumoniae (cp) was detected in bone marrow (bm) biopsies. infection was suspected by routine cytology and confirmed by immunofluorescence, electron microscopy, polymerase chain reaction (pcr) including different primer sets and laboratories and sequencing of the pcr product. this is a first ...	2005	15613113
serine-to-asparagine substitution in the gyra gene leads to quinolone resistance in moxifloxacin-exposed chlamydia pneumoniae.	quinolone resistance of chlamydia pneumoniae has not been described previously. serial subcultures of c. pneumoniae under increasing moxifloxacin concentrations (0.0125 to 6.4 mg/liter) resulted in a 256-fold mic increase compared to moxifloxacin-naive strains. gyra gene sequencing revealed a novel point mutation with a ser-->asn substitution. subcultures under rifalazil and macrolides did not alter the respective mics.	2005	15616321
chlamydia pneumoniae enhances cytokine-stimulated human monocyte matrix metalloproteinases through a prostaglandin e2-dependent mechanism.	exposure of human monocytes to chlamydia pneumoniae resulted in a significant enhancement of matrix metalloproteinase (mmp) 1 and 9 production following stimulation with tumor necrosis factor alpha and granulocyte monocyte-colony stimulating factor. the effect of c. pneumoniae on monocyte mmps was mediated through the induction of prostaglandin e(2). these findings may have implications for atherosclerotic plaque rupture.	2005	15618206
transmission of chlamydia pneumoniae infection from blood monocytes to vascular cells in a novel transendothelial migration model.	chlamydia pneumoniae uses blood monocytes (pbmc) for systemic dissemination, persists in atherosclerotic lesions, and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. during transmigration in a newly developed transendothelial migration model (tem) c. pneumoniae-infected pbmc spread their infection to endothelial cells. transmigrated pbmc retained their infectivity and transmitted the pathogen to smooth muscle cells in the lower chamber of the tem. detection of chlamydial hsp60 mrna p ...	2005	15621438
demonstration of intracellular microorganisms (rickettsia spp., chlamydia pneumoniae, bartonella spp.) in pathological human aortic valves by pcr.	rickettsiae, which causes vasculitis, has not been linked to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in contrast to chlamydia pneumoniae whose association with coronary artery disease and with sclerotic heart valves in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement is well established, even if causality is yet to unproven. in the search for any of these infectious agents, 84 pathological and 15 normal aortic heart valves of patients undergoing forensic autopsy were analysed by pcr and dna-sequencin ...	2005	15603840
acute coronary syndrome and chronic infection in the cork coronary care case-control study.	to examine the association between chronic infection and cumulative burden of infection and acute coronary syndrome.	2005	15604325
lack of association between chronic chlamydophila pneumoniae infection and lung cancer among nonsmoking chinese women in singapore.		2005	15578725
infectious triggers of asthma.	there is abundant evidence that asthma is frequently exacerbated by infectious agents. several viruses have been implicated in the inception and exacerbation of asthma. recent attention has been directed at the role of infections with the atypical bacteria mycoplasma pneumoniae and chlamydia pneumoniae as agents capable of triggering asthma exacerbations and potentially as inciting agents for asthma. this article examines the evidence for interaction between specific infectious agents and exacer ...	2005	15579364
asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis is associated with circulating chlamydia pneumoniae dna in younger normotensive subjects in a general population survey.	chlamydia pneumoniae infection has been associated with atherosclerosis, but serodiagnosis is unreliable in predicting vascular infection. direct detection of circulating chlamydial dna in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pbmcs) was thus evaluated as a marker for cardiovascular risk in a general population survey using the common carotid intima-media thickness (imt) as surrogate marker of asymptomatic atherosclerosis.	2005	15550694
c-reactive protein levels and prevalence of chronic infections in subjects with hypoalphalipoproteinemia.	low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (hdl-c) show a consistent relationship with the development of atherosclerosis. the underlying mechanisms are not well understood, but recent studies in subjects with primary hypoalphalipoproteinemia suggest that this could represent a proinflammatory condition. to better assess the link between hdl-c levels and c-reactive protein levels and the possible role of chronic infections as putative mediators of this relationship, we studied a populati ...	2005	15562377
elicitation of reactive oxygen species in chlamydia pneumoniae-stimulated macrophages: a ca2+-dependent process involving simultaneous activation of nadph oxidase and cytochrome oxidase genes.	chlamydia pneumoniae, a respiratory pathogen implicated in the development and progress of atherosclerosis, is known to infect and survive in macrophages, despite macrophage producing reactive oxygen species (ros). to gain insight into ros generation in macrophages infected with c. pneumoniae and to explore factors accounting for their final levels and effect, we investigated the role of nadph oxidase and cytochrome oxidase pathways in the production and modulation of ros. we also determined the ...	2005	15197588
density of chlamydia pneumoniae is increased in fibrotic and calcified areas of degenerative aortic stenosis.	the process of aortic degeneration associated with calcified aortic stenosis shares many similarities with coronary artery atherosclerosis. inflammation and infection are involved in both diseases. chlamydia pneumoniae has been identified in atherosclerotic plaques. however, the studies about the presence of c. pneumoniae in degenerative aortic stenotic valves are not conclusive.	2006	15925417
chlamydia pneumoniae infection as a trigger for a cogan's syndrome.	cogan's syndrome is often preceded by upper respiratory tract symptoms. the only reported specific agent possibly involved in pathogenesis of the cogan's syndrome was chlamydia pneumoniae. positive iga, igm and igg antibodies against c. pneumoniae in our patient suggest possibility of chlamydia's role as a trigger for the vasculitis.	2006	15904966
the effect of telithromycin in acute exacerbations of asthma.	we conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of telithromycin in patients with acute exacerbations of asthma.	2006	16611950
[evaluation of association between an acute attack of childhood bronchial asthma and chlamydia pneumoniae infection].	to identify whether there is an association between an acute attack of childhood bronchial asthma and chlamydia pneumoniae (cp) infection.	2006	16613702
[the pathogens of atypical respiratory infections and asthma].	the pathogens of atypical respiratory infections form a big heterogeneous group of different microorganisms. the classical ones belong to bacterial species of mycoplasma pneumonaie, chlamydia pneumoniae and legionella pneumophila. this category comprises also some viruses and rickettsia. in many cases they are responsible for the asthma course exacerbation. their contribution in the asthma development is suspected, too. potential protecting effect against atopy and asthma is a subject of specula ...	2006	16617744
[what is new in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia?].	community-acquired pneumonia (cap) is the most important infectious disease in germany. after 3 years of data recording, the country-wide competence network capnetz presents reliable data on etiology and course of the disease, based on more than 3,500 prospectively observed patients. in the acute phase, lethality is as high as nearly 10%, and in the 6-month follow-up period after the acute infection, lethality is > 15%. a reliable detection of the underlying pathogen is possible in less than hal ...	2006	16607488
chlamydia pneumoniae, heat shock proteins 60 and risk of secondary cardiovascular events in patients with coronary heart disease under special consideration of diabetes: a prospective study.	there have been suggestions of an association between chlamydia pneumoniae, chlamydial heat shock protein (ch-hsp) 60 and human heat shock protein (h-hsp) 60 infection sero-status and development of secondary cardiovascular events. patients with diabetes might be at higher risk since they are prone to infections. the objective of this study was to investigate prospectively the role of chlamydia pneumoniae (cp), chlamydial heat shock protein (ch-hsp) 60 and a possible intermediate role of human h ...	2006	16608530
differential involvement of tlr2 and tlr4 in host survival during pulmonary infection with chlamydia pneumoniae.	the relevance of tlr2 and tlr4 for recognizing chlamydia pneumoniae in vivo during pulmonary infection and to survive the infection was explored. we found that early immune responses triggered by c. pneumoniae partially depended on tlr2, but not on tlr4. the chemokines mip-2 and mip-1alpha were not induced, while il-12p40 levels were higher in tlr2(-/-) mice compared to wild-type mice. secretion of tnf, keratinocyte-derived chemokine and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 was attenuated in tlr2( ...	2006	16609927
[detection and treatment of chlamydia and mycoplasma infections in patients with bronchoobstructive diseases].		2006	16610307
diagnostic value of real-time polymerase chain reaction to detect viruses in young children admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit with lower respiratory tract infection.	the aetiology of lower respiratory tract infections in young children admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit (picu) is often difficult to establish. however, most infections are believed to be caused by respiratory viruses. a diagnostic study was performed to compare conventional viral tests with the recently developed real-time pcr technique.	2006	16611370
development of diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice promotes chlamydia pneumoniae dissemination from lung to peripheral blood.	we examined a possible association between development of diabetes in non-obese diabetic (nod) mice and dissemination of chlamydia (chlamydophila) pneumoniae from lung to peripheral blood. by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) with primers for c. pneumoniae 16s rrna, following multiple intranasal inoculations, we detected bacteria in lung in nod mice with diabetes (38.5%) as well as institute of cancer research, usa (icr) mice (40%), but prevalence of bacteria in ...	2006	16623756
role of mycoplasma pneumoniae and chlamydia pneumoniae in children with community-acquired pneumonia in istanbul, turkey.	to investigate the role of mycoplasma pneumoniae and chlamydia pneumoniae infection in pediatric pneumonia, in istanbul, turkey, we conducted a prospective study covering all the children between 2 months and 15 years hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia.	2006	16627487
phosphoinositide 3-kinase in nitric oxide synthesis in macrophage: critical dimerization of inducible nitric-oxide synthase.	phosphoinositide 3-kinase (pi3k) has important functions in various biological systems, including immune response. although the role of pi3k in signaling by antigen-specific receptors of the adaptive immune system has been extensively studied, less is known about the function of pi3k in innate immunity. in the present study, we demonstrate that macrophages deficient for pi3k (p85alpha regulatory subunit) are impaired in nitric oxide (no) production upon lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma st ...	2006	16636057
[a multicentre study on the pathogenic agents in 665 adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia in cities of china].	to investigate the pathogenic causes of community-acquired pneumonia (cap) in adult patients in china, the relation of previous antibiotic use and the pneumonia patient outcome research team (port) classification to microbial etiology, and the prevalence of drug resistance of common cap bacteria.	2006	16638292
chlamydia pneumoniae is not detectable in subretinal neovascular membranes in the exudative stage of age-related macular degeneration.	age-related macular degeneration (amd) is the most frequent cause of severe visual impairment in western countries, but its aetiology remains unclear. a growing body of evidence suggests that inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of amd, similarly to that shown for atherosclerosis. in view of a number of shared risk factors between the two entities and the hypothesized link between chlamydia pneumoniae infection and atherosclerosis, we investigated whether c. pneumoniae might be involved ...	2006	16704694
the role of chlamydia pneumoniae in acute respiratory tract infections in young children in the gambia, west africa.	little is known about the role of chlamydia pneumoniae in the aetiology of acute respiratory tract infections (ari) in children in developing countries.	2006	16709325
stat1 regulates ifn-alpha beta- and ifn-gamma-dependent control of infection with chlamydia pneumoniae by nonhemopoietic cells.	stat1 mediates signaling in response to ifn-alpha, -beta, and -gamma, cytokines required for protective immunity against several viral, bacterial, and eukaryotic pathogens. the protective role of stat1 in the control of intranasal infection with the obligate intracellular bacterium chlamydia pneumoniae was analyzed. ifn-gamma-/- or ifn-gamma receptor (r)-/- mice were highly susceptible to infection with c. pneumoniae. we found that stat1-/- mice were even more susceptible to c. pneumoniae than i ...	2006	16709859
recruitment of bad by the chlamydia trachomatis vacuole correlates with host-cell survival.	chlamydiae replicate intracellularly in a vacuole called an inclusion. chlamydial-infected host cells are protected from mitochondrion-dependent apoptosis, partly due to degradation of bh3-only proteins. the host-cell adapter protein 14-3-3beta can interact with host-cell apoptotic signaling pathways in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. in chlamydia trachomatis-infected cells, 14-3-3beta co-localizes to the inclusion via direct interaction with a c. trachomatis-encoded inclusion membrane prote ...	2006	16710454
chlamydial dna polymerase i can bypass lesions in vitro.	we found that dna polymerase i from chlamydiophila pneumoniae ar39 (cpdnapoli) presents dna-dependent dna polymerase activity, but has no detectable 3' exonuclease activity. cpdnapoli-dependent dna synthesis was performed using dna templates carrying different lesions. dnas containing 2'-deoxyuridine (du), 2'-deoxyinosine (di) or 2'-deoxy-8-oxo-guanosine (8-oxo-dg) served as templates as effectively as unmodified dnas for cpdnapoli. furthermore, the cpdnapoli could bypass natural apurinic/apyrim ...	2006	16712785
macrophage antioxidant enzymes regulate chlamydia pneumoniae chronicity: evidence of the effect of redox balance on host-pathogen relationship.	latency, chronicity and recurrent nature are the features of chlamydia pneumoniae biology which play a central role in the course and outcome of c. pneumoniae-host interaction. since redox status is directly an indicator of inflammatory response via molecular signaling mechanisms, we decided to study the regulatory role of macrophage cellular redox balance on the molecular indices of c. pneumoniae chronicity. we examined gsh-gssg status, the activities of antioxidant enzymes (sod, gpx and gamma- ...	2006	16716802
role of chlamydia infection in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic plaques in hiv-1-positive patients.	various authors have hypothesized a role of chlamydia pneumoniae infection in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. to better understand the possible role of this infection in the pathogenesis of epi-aortic lesions in hiv-1-positive patients, the presence of anti-chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies was evaluated in a group of individuals subjected to ultrasonography of the epi-aortic vessels.	2006	16724680
co-infection ratios versus inflammation, growth factors and progression of early atheromas.	mycoplasma pneumoniae (mp) and chlamydophila pneumoniae (cp) antigens are encountered in complicated atheromas and may be implicated in the diversity of atherosclerotic lesions. mycoplasma can downregulate the immune system, altering levels of inflammation, which may favor the proliferation of other co-infectious agents. in the present study we analyze whether initially stable human atheromas exhibit different ratios of mp/cp antigens compared to ongoing atheromatous lesions. two groups were exa ...	2006	16725009