<i>Chlamydia pneumoniae</i> Infection as a Risk Factor for Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Vol. 19, No. 4, 2005

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Original Paper

Chlamydia pneumoniae Infection as a Risk Factor for Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Hiroshi Yoneda^a, Kazunobu Ouchi^c, Akira Ogawa^d, Ichiro Kunitsugu^b, Hirosuke Fujisawa^a, Tatsuo Akimura^a, Shoichi Kato^a, Michiyasu Suzuki^a

^aDepartment of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience, and
^bDepartment of Public Health, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Ube,
^cDepartment of Pediatrics, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, and
^dDepartment of Neurosurgery, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Morioka, Japan

Address of Corresponding Author

Cerebrovasc Dis 2005;19:209-213 (DOI: 10.1159/000083884)

Key Words

Chlamydia pneumoniae
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Risk factor

Abstract

Many risk factors for subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), such as hypertension and recent infection, have already been established. Chlamydia pneumoniae is a common respiratory pathogen that has been implicated as a potential risk factor for hypertension and atherosclerotic diseases. The purpose of the case-control study presented here was to examine the causative relationship between C. pneumoniae infection and SAH. Serum C. pneumoniae IgG and IgA antibodies were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 52 patients with SAH and in 104 healthy age-matched control subjects. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant association between SAH and both a strong seropositivity for IgG and/or IgA antibodies against C. pneumoniae (odds ratio, OR, 3.62; 95% confidence intervals, CI, 1.06-12.39; p = 0.040), which indicates the presence of acute C. pneumoniae infection, and hypertension (OR, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.42-5.96; p = 0.0035). These results provide evidence that infection with C. pneumoniae may be a risk factor for SAH from a ruptured intracranial aneurysm.

Author Contacts

Hiroshi Yoneda, MD
Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neuroscience
Yamaguchi University School of Medicine
Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505 (Japan)
Tel. +81 836 22 2295, Fax +81 836 22 2294, E-Mail yo-hiroshi@k9.dion.ne.jp

Article Information

Received: June 25, 2004
Accepted: October 5, 2004
Published online: February 8, 2005
Number of Print Pages : 5
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 3, Number of References : 26

Medline Abstract (ID 15703463)

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