Abstract
Introduction Chlamydia trachomatis is the most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease and although infection during pregnancy is associated with neonatal complications, long-term respiratory consequences are unknown. We aimed to determine whether C. trachomatis infection during pregnancy is associated with asthma-related symptoms across childhood
Methods This study among 2475 children and their mothers was embedded in a population-based prospective cohort study. Maternal urine samples were tested for C. trachomatis infection during pregnancy. Questionnaires provided information on childhood physician-attended lower respiratory tract infections and wheezing, and current asthma at age 10 years. Lung function was measured by spirometry at age 10 years.
Results The prevalence of C. trachomatis infection during pregnancy was 3.2% (78 out of 2475). C. trachomatis infection during pregnancy was not associated with lower respiratory tract infections until age 6 years, but was associated with a higher odds of wheezing in children until age 10 years (OR 1.50 (95% CI 1.10–2.03)). C. trachomatis infection during pregnancy was associated with an increased odds of asthma (OR 2.29 (95% CI 1.02–5.13)), and with a lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity and forced expiratory flow at 75% of forced vital capacity (z-score difference −0.28 (95% CI −0.52– −0.04) and −0.24 (95% CI −0.46– −0.01), respectively) in children at age 10 years. The observed associations were only partly explained by mode of delivery, gestational age at birth or birthweight.
Conclusions C. trachomatis infection during pregnancy is associated with increased odds of wheezing, asthma and impaired lung function. The causality of the observed associations and potential underlying mechanisms need to be explored.
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis infection during pregnancy is associated with increased odds of wheezing and asthma, and impaired lung function in childhood, and may be a target for prevention strategies focused on improving offspring respiratory health https://bit.ly/34fSXda
Footnotes
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Author contributions: E.R. van Meel, M. Attanasi, V.W.V. Jaddoe and L. Duijts contributed to the conception and design, acquisition of data, analyses and interpretation of the data, drafted the article, revised it critically for important intellectual content, and gave final approval of the version to be published. I.K.M. Reiss, H.A. Moll and J.C. de Jongste contributed to the conception and design, acquisition of data, revised the drafted manuscript critically for important intellectual content, and gave final approval of the version to be published.
Conflict of interest: E.R. van Meel has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: M. Attanasi has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: V.W.V. Jaddoe has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: I.K.M. Reiss has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: H.A. Moll has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: J.C. de Jongste has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: L. Duijts has nothing to disclose.
Support statement: The Generation R Study is made possible by financial support from the Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw). V.W.V. Jaddoe received an additional grant from ZonMw (ZonMw-VIDI) and the European Research Council (ERC-2014-CoG-648916). L. Duijts received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 co-funded programme ERA-Net on Biomarkers for Nutrition and Health (ERA HDHL) (ALPHABET project (number 696295; 2017); ZonMw (number 529051014; 2017)). The researchers are independent from the funders. The study sponsors had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, interpretation of data, writing of this report or the decision to submit the article for publication. Funding information for this article has been deposited with the Crossref Funder Registry.
- Received April 29, 2019.
- Accepted April 1, 2020.
- Copyright ©ERS 2020