This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Hao, Q Articles by Saida, T Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hao, Q Articles by Saida, T Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Chlamydia pneumoniae infection associated with enhanced MRI spinal lesions in multiple sclerosis

Department of Neurology, Center for Neurological Diseases, Utano National Hospital, Kyoto, Japan

N Miyashita

Division of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan

M Matsui

Department of Neurology, Center for Neurological Diseases, Utano National Hospital, Kyoto, Japan

H-Y Wang

Department of Neurology, Center for Neurological Diseases, Utano National Hospital, Kyoto, Japan

T Matsushima

Division of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan

T Saida

Department of Neurology, Center for Neurological Diseases, Utano National Hospital, Kyoto, Japan, saida{at}unh.hosp.go.jp

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 66 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and 25 patients with other neurological diseases (OND) were examined for the infection of Chlamydia pneumoniae by culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, and determination of antibodies to C. pneumoniae. PCR was positive not only in 9 of 28 (32%) patients with MS but also in 2 patients with inflammatory disorders in 15 (13%) OND controls (p=0.18). Viable C. pneumoniae was isolated from one patient with MS and one with paraneoplastic encephalomyelitis. C. pneumoniae could be detected only in cell-containing CSF. In MS, enhanced spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions were detected in all of four PCR-positive patients but none of five PCR-negative patients, and the difference was significant (p=0.0079). However, no correlation was found between enhanced brain MRI lesions and CSF C. pneumoniae DNA. Elevated titers of anti-C. pneumoniae IgG were detected in CSF in 13 of 66 (20%) patients with MS and 1 of 25 (4%) OND controls (p=0.064). CNS C. pneumoniae infection is not uncommon in MS as well as in other inflammatory disorders of the nervous system. The association of active spinal lesions with Chlamydia in CSF collected by lumber puncture suggests the detection of a recent infection. On the other hand, the lack of association of active MS brain lesions with CSF Chlamydia and the presence of PCR-positive patients who are clinically stable and have no enhancing MRI lesions imply the existence of a chronic infectious process.

Key Words: Chlamydia pneumoniae • magnetic resonance imaging • multiple sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis, Vol. 8, No. 5, 436-440 (2002)
DOI: 10.1191/1352458502ms840oa


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Parratt, R. Tavendale, J. O'Riordan, D. Parratt, and R. Swingler Chlamydia pneumoniae-specific serum immune complexes in patients with multiple sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis, April 1, 2008; 14(3): 292 - 299. [Abstract] [PDF]

				P G Bagos, G Nikolopoulos, and A Ioannidis Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and the risk of multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis Multiple Sclerosis, August 1, 2006; 12(4): 397 - 411. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C Contini, R Cultrera, S Seraceni, M Castellazzi, E Granieri, and E Fainardi Cerebrospinal fluid molecular demonstration of Chlamydia pneumoniae DNA is associated to clinical and brain magnetic resonance imaging activity in a subset of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis Multiple Sclerosis, August 1, 2004; 10(4): 360 - 369. [Abstract] [PDF]

				K. L. Munger, G. N. DeLorenze, L. I. Levin, M. V. Rubertone, J. H. Vogelman, C. A. Peck, R. W. Peeling, N. Orentreich, and A. Ascherio A prospective study of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and risk of MS in two US cohorts Neurology, May 25, 2004; 62(10): 1799 - 1803. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S J Furrows, J C Hartley, J Bell, N Silver, N Losseff, S Stevenson, M Chapman, E J Thompson, G L Ridgway, and G Giovannoni Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection of the central nervous system in patients with multiple sclerosis J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, January 1, 2004; 75(1): 152 - 154. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L M. Grimaldi, A Pincherle, F Martinelli-Boneschi, M Filippi, F Patti, A Reggio, D Franciotta, L Allegra, G Comi, and F Blasi An MRI study of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in Italian multiple sclerosis patients Multiple Sclerosis, October 1, 2003; 9(5): 467 - 471. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. L. C. Tondella, G. Galagoda, C. A. Gaydos, J. Boman, S. Sriram, S. Yao, C. S. Stratton, W. Mitchell, and Y. Yamamoto Is Chlamydia pneumoniae Present in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Multiple Sclerosis Patients? Clin. Vaccine Immunol., September 1, 2003; 10(5): 977 - 978. [Full Text] [PDF]