| Author/Editor | Keše, Darja | |
| Title | Analiza genoma bakterije Chlamydia pneumoniae izolirane iz različnih kužnin bolnikov s pljučnico in bolnikov z aterosklerozo | |
| Type | monografija | |
| Place | Ljubljana | |
| Publisher | Medicinska fakulteta | |
| Publication year | 2000 | |
| Volume | str. 115 | |
| Language | slo | |
| Abstract | This thesis presents the first epidemiological and molecular biological study of Chlamydia pneumoniae in the population of Slovenia. To determinate the prevalence rates of C. pneumoniae infections in our population, we first evaluated the presence of C. pneumoniae specific antibodies in 1036 healthy subjects, in two periods of time, in 1991 to 1993 and 1997 to 1998. We demonstrated that C. pneumoniae infections are common in our population, as we detected IgG antibodies in 43.1 % of healthy population. We found out that C. pneumoniae infection occurred in children aged 1 to 15 years in 14.4 % and increased to 50.2 % in the subjects older than 16 years. Despite the evidence that antibodies from the first infection are usually lost in one to three years, population prevalence rates of antibodies continue to rise in adults, reaching 64 % of persons over 51 years of age. This high prevalence can best be explained by frequent reinfections that maintain constant titer of IgG antibodies. We demonstrated statistically significantly (p < 0.0005) higher prevalence rates of IgG antibodies in men. We also demonstrated that prevalence rate of C. pneumoniae infections statistically significant increased from 50.2 % in the period of 1991-1993 to 64.7 % in the years 1997-1998. In 7.7 % of healthy adults older than 18 years, we found C. pneumoniae IgA antibodies that indicate chronic infections with C. pneumoniae. We believe that it is necessary to follow up the patients with IgA present in their sera for a few months and test them regularly in order to confirm a chronic infection. (Abstract truncated at 2000 characters) | |
| Descriptors | CHLAMYDIA PNEUMONIAE GENOME, BACTERIAL ANTIBODIES, BACTERIAL ATHEROSCLEROSIS COMMUNITY-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS FLUORESCENT ANTIBODY TECHNIQUE IGG IGA PREVALENCE PNEUMONIA, BACTERIAL POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION BASE SEQUENCE |