J Korean Med Sci.  2005 Apr;20(2):225-228. 10.3346/jkms.2005.20.2.225.

Seroprevalence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae in Stable Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

• Park SJ
• Lee YC
• Rhee YK
• Lee HB

• KMID: 1095194
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2005.20.2.225

Abstract

Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae have been suggested to take part in the acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Several studies have questioned whether they may play pathogenic roles in connection with bronchial asthma and COPD. This study was designed to evaluate the seroprevalences of M. pneumoniae and C. pneumoniae in stable asthma and COPD patients, and to compare with control patients. The medical records of one hundred forty patients who underwent M. pneumoniae and C. pneumoniae serology were retrospectively reviewed. Seroprevalences of M. pneumoniae and C. pneumoniae in the asthma group (11.1% and 8.3%, respectively) were higher than in the control group (4.4% and 2.2%, respectively) without statistical significance. The seroprevalence of M. pneumoniae in the COPD group (16.9%) was significantly higher than in the control group, and the seroprevalence of C. pneumoniae in the COPD group (3.4%) was higher than in the control group without statistical significance. This study raises important questions about the relation of M. pneumoniae and C. pneumoniae infection with stable asthma or COPD.

Keyword

Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Chlamydophila pneumoniae; Asthma; Lung Diseases, Obstructive

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Asthma/*microbiology
Chlamydophila Infections/*epidemiology
Chlamydophila pneumoniae/immunology
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Pneumonia, Mycoplasma/*epidemiology
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/*microbiology
Seroepidemiologic Studies

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