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Lack of pathotype specific gene in human Coxiella burnetii isolates
Abstract:
Human Q fever, due to the obligate intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii may be acute or chronic. The acute form is rarely fatal, although the chronic form, mostly represented by chronic Q fever endocarditis, is severe and usually fatal in lack of appropriate treatment. A correlation between the human disease state and plasmid types has been described, and specific DNA sequences unique to each plasmid type and which would code for specific pathotypes have been characterized. Because this gene specificity of the pathogenesis was hypothesized only on a small number of isolates, we evaluated seven reference isolates and 30 recent C. burnetii isolates from France for which all clinical data were available using the polymerase chain reaction by employing two specific primer sets. Our studies indicate that the previously described CbhE' plasmid-gene is not unique to C. burnetii isolates associated with acute disease, which would mean that the hypothesis of the correlation between gene specificity and pathotype has to be revised.
Insights
This study revises the hypothesis linking Coxiella burnetii plasmid genes to disease severity in human Q fever. The CbhE
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Genetics
Background:
- Human Q fever, caused by Coxiella burnetii, presents as acute or chronic illness.
- Chronic Q fever, particularly endocarditis, is severe and often fatal without treatment.
- Previous research suggested a link between C. burnetii plasmid types and disease pathotypes, identifying specific genes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between specific C. burnetii plasmid genes and human Q fever pathotypes.
- To validate the hypothesis of gene specificity in pathogenesis using a larger isolate set.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with two specific primer sets.
- Analyzed seven reference C. burnetii isolates and 30 recent isolates from France with available clinical data.
Main Results:
- The CbhE' plasmid gene was found not to be exclusively associated with acute Q fever isolates.
- Findings indicate that the previously proposed gene specificity for pathogenesis requires revision.
Conclusions:
- The direct correlation between the CbhE' plasmid gene and acute Q fever pathotype is not supported by this study.
- Further research is needed to revise the understanding of C. burnetii pathogenesis and its genetic determinants.