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Does Chlamydia pneumoniae infection trigger to development of asthma in wheezy infants?

Masafumi Zaitsu1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Saga University, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga City 849-8501, Japan. zaitsum@cc.saga-u.ac.jp

The Journal of Asthma : Official Journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma
|November 13, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) infection may trigger asthma development in infants. Wheezing infants infected with CP were more likely to develop asthma by age three compared to uninfected infants.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric respiratory health
  • Infectious disease immunology

Background:

  • The link between Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) infection and infantile asthma is not well understood.
  • Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and the development of asthma in wheezing infants.
  • To determine if CP infection is a risk factor for asthma progression in early childhood.

Main Methods:

  • Serological testing for Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) infection using Immunoglobulin M antibody titers (index ≥ 2.00) in wheezing infants.
  • Follow-up examinations at 3 years of age to diagnose asthma.
  • Comparison of asthma development rates between CP-infected and non-infected infants.

Main Results:

  • Wheezing infants diagnosed with Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) infection showed a higher progression rate to asthma by age three.
  • A significant association was observed between CP infection and the subsequent diagnosis of asthma.

Conclusions:

  • Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) infection may play a role in triggering the development of asthma in susceptible infants.
  • Early CP infection could be a contributing factor to the pathogenesis of childhood asthma.

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