This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bodetti, T. J.
Right arrow Articles by Timms, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bodetti, T. J.
Right arrow Articles by Timms, P.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infection and Immunity, May 2000, p. 2744-2747, Vol. 68, No. 5
0019-9567/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Detection of Chlamydia pneumoniae DNA and Antigen in the Circulating Mononuclear Cell Fractions of Humans and Koalas

Tracey J. Bodetti and Peter Timms*

Centre for Molecular Biotechnology and Co-Operative Research Centre for Diagnostic Technologies, School of Life Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

Received 20 December 1999/Returned for modification 21 January 2000/Accepted 16 February 2000

Chlamydia pneumoniae is a common respiratory pathogen of humans which, in addition to causing disease at the respiratory site, has recently been linked to disease at other body sites. If C. pneumoniae does contribute to disease at nonrespiratory sites, then it must have a mechanism by which it reaches these sites. We analyzed the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) fractions from 60 healthy human blood donors for the presence of C. pneumoniae DNA (by ompA PCR) and chlamydial antigens (by genus- and species-specific monoclonal antibody staining). Ten of the sixty (16.7%) blood donors were C. pneumoniae positive by PCR, and all 10 of these PCR-positive individuals' samples demonstrated specific staining with anti-C. pneumoniae monoclonal antibodies. The only other host naturally infected with C. pneumoniae is the koala, in which the bacterium also causes respiratory infections. We demonstrated the presence of C. pneumoniae DNA and antigens in the PBMC fractions of 30% of 20 koalas tested. Our finding of C. pneumoniae-infected PBMCs in koalas as well as humans suggests that the ability to infect PBMCs and to disseminate from the respiratory site is not restricted to the human biovar of C. pneumoniae but is a general characteristic of this chlamydial species.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: School of Life Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, Australia 4001. Phone: 61 7 38642120. Fax: 61 7 38641534. E-mail: p.timms{at}qut.edu.au.

Infection and Immunity, May 2000, p. 2744-2747, Vol. 68, No. 5
0019-9567/00/$04.00+0
Copyright © 2000, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Matsuo, J., Hayashi, Y., Nakamura, S., Sato, M., Mizutani, Y., Asaka, M., Yamaguchi, H. (2008). Novel Parachlamydia acanthamoebae Quantification Method Based on Coculture with Amoebae. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 6397-6404 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ikejima, H., Friedman, H., Leparc, G. F., Yamamoto, Y. (2005). Depletion of Resident Chlamydia pneumoniae through Leukoreduction by Filtration of Blood for Transfusion. J. Clin. Microbiol. 43: 4580-4584 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cochrane, M., Walker, P., Gibbs, H., Timms, P. (2005). Multiple genotypes of Chlamydia pneumoniae identified in human carotid plaque. Microbiology 151: 2285-2290 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ieven, M. M., Hoymans, V. Y. (2005). Involvement of Chlamydia pneumoniae in Atherosclerosis: More Evidence for Lack of Evidence. J. Clin. Microbiol. 43: 19-24 [Full Text]  
  • Soldati, G., Lu, Z. H., Vaughan, L., Polkinghorne, A., Zimmermann, D. R., Huder, J. B., Pospischil, A. (2004). Detection of Mycobacteria and Chlamydiae in Granulomatous Inflammation of Reptiles: A Retrospective Study. Vet Pathol 41: 388-397 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Vielma, S. A., Krings, G., Lopes-Virella, M. F. (2003). Chlamydophila pneumoniae Induces ICAM-1 Expression in Human Aortic Endothelial Cells via Protein Kinase C-Dependent Activation of Nuclear Factor-{kappa}B. Circ. Res. 92: 1130-1137 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cochrane, M., Pospischil, A., Walker, P., Gibbs, H., Timms, P. (2003). Distribution of Chlamydia pneumoniae DNA in Atherosclerotic Carotid Arteries: Significance for Sampling Procedures. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 1454-1457 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hao, Q, Miyashita, N, Matsui, M, Wang, H-Y, Matsushima, T, Saida, T (2002). Chlamydia pneumoniae infection associated with enhanced MRI spinal lesions in multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler 8: 436-440 [Abstract]  
  • Hermann, C., Graf, K., Groh, A., Straube, E., Hartung, T. (2002). Comparison of Eleven Commercial Tests for Chlamydia pneumoniae-Specific Immunoglobulin G in Asymptomatic Healthy Individuals. J. Clin. Microbiol. 40: 1603-1609 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Boman, J., Hammerschlag, M. R. (2002). Chlamydia pneumoniae and Atherosclerosis: Critical Assessment of Diagnostic Methods and Relevance to Treatment Studies. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 15: 1-20 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Smieja, M., Chong, S., Natarajan, M., Petrich, A., Rainen, L., Mahony, J. B. (2001). Circulating Nucleic Acids of Chlamydia pneumoniae and Cytomegalovirus in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography. J. Clin. Microbiol. 39: 596-600 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»