Background: Although several studies have demonstrated an association between infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae and asthma, these were mainly limited to exacerbation of symptoms in adults with known asthma
Objective: We investigated the role of C. pneumoniae infection in 149 atopic children with chronic cough and asthma, comparing them with 241 control non-atopic subjects presenting at Olomouc hospital between 1999 and 2003 with non-specific symptoms (temperature above normal (subfebrile), abdominal pain, arthralgia, and other symptoms.
Methods: The levels of C. pneumoniae-specific antibodies were measured using Chlamydien-rELISA kits (Medac, Hamburg, Germany).
Results: In a group of 83 atopic children with chronic cough, IgM and IgG antibodies to C. pneumoniae were demonstrated in 20 children (24 %). Among children with bronchial asthma, positive antibody was present in 29 children (44 %; /p = 0,052/); of this number, 24 (36 %; /p = 0,06/) had IgM and IgG antibodies while 5 children (8 %) had IgA and IgG antibodies against C. pneumoniae. A group of non-atopic children with non-specific symptoms included 38 children (16 %) with antibody positivity; 27 children (11 %) with IgM and IgG antibodies and 11 children (5 %) with IgA and IgG antibodies against C. pneumoniae.
Conclusions: Asthma in children was associated with elevated levels of IgM and IgG antibodies to C. pneumoniae.