Chlamydia pneumoniae may be associated with lung cancer. Preliminary report on a seroepidemiological study

Material from 117 consecutive patients with lung cancer was investigated with respect to serological markers for chronic Chlamydia pneumoniae infection. Specific C. pneumoniae IgA antibodies were found significantly more often in patients with lung cancer than in control groups with coronary heart disease and in healthy controls, even after adjustment for smoking. The results suggest that chronic C. pneumoniae infection is common in patients with lung cancer.