Role of Chlamydia pneumoniae as an Inducer of Asthma

Host Immune Response to Chlamydia Infection

“…Chlamydia pneumoniae infection could have three distinguishable causal effects: acute asthma exacerbations (Allegra et al, 1994, Clementsen et al, 2002; promoting asthma severity (von Hertzen, 2002); or initiate asthma (Hahn et al, 2005).…”

From the authors

“…Although KOSTADIMA et al [1] speculated about the underlying mechanisms of risk of VAP in the patients with NGT feeding, they did not assess the swallowing reflex and cough reflex. We have developed a novel diagnostic test for the risk of aspiration pneumonia [7,8]. The simple swallowing provocation test can be applied for all the ventilated patients as it is very easy and can be performed on bedridden patients without requiring their cooperation.…”

“…The growing body of clinical, epidemiological and therapeutic evidence implicating acute, reactivated and chronic infection by C. pneumoniae in asthma [6,7] forms the basis for proposing the theory that a now waning, geographically heterogeneous worldwide C. pneumoniae pandemic is responsible for the recent unexplained observations. …”

A theory explaining time trends in asthma prevalence

“…For example, country-wide epidemics and the increasing seroprevalence of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in Finland [4] have been accompanied by corresponding country-wide increased asthma medication use in both males and females and all age groups [5]. The growing body of clinical, epidemiological and therapeutic evidence implicating acute, reactivated and chronic infection by C. pneumoniae in asthma [6,7] forms the basis for proposing the theory that a now waning, geographically heterogeneous worldwide C. pneumoniae pandemic is responsible for the recent unexplained observations.…”