HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Permissions Request Permissions Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Web of Science (1) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Theegarten, D. Articles by Mogilevski, G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Theegarten, D. Articles by Mogilevski, G.

Detection of Chlamydia pneumoniae in unexplained pulmonary hypertension

¹ Dept of Pathology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum and ² Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Medical University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany

CORRESPONDENCE: D. Theegarten, Dept of Pathology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitaetsstr. 150 , D-44801, Bochum, Germany. Fax: 49 2343214200

Keywords: Bronchiolitis, Chlamydia pneumoniae, pathogenesis, primary pulmonary hypertension, smooth muscle cells

Received: May 21, 2001
Accepted July 5, 2001

Abstract

The pathogenesis of primary pulmonary hypertension is still unclear. The case of a 68-yr-old female patient who complained of recurrent dizzy spells and collapses over a period of 6 weeks and died of global cardiac failure is presented.

Autopsy revealed severe pulmonary hypertension, slight chronic bronchitis, and bronchiolitis as well as intra-alveolar accumulation of macrophages. Chlamydiae were detected within the pulmonary arteries and in intramural and intra-alveolar macrophages by immunofluorescence, confocal laser scanning microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and nonradioactive deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hybridization of PCR products from pulmonary arteries revealed Chlamydia pneumoniae DNA.

Chlamydia pneumoniae has already been detected in atherosclerosis and in pulmonary emphysema. It can induce proliferation of smooth muscle cells. Chlamydia pneumoniae might be relevant in aggravation of primary pulmonary hypertension and might perhaps be a trigger factor in some cases.