Erythema multiforme major (EMM) is an acute, self-limited mucocutaneous disease characterized by the abrupt onset of symmetrical fixed red papules evolving to target lesions. It is triggered mainly by infections, such as herpes simplex virus (HSV) and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, or drugs. In instances of extensive skin lesions with "giant" targets, prominent involvement of several mucous sites and f...

OBJECTIVE The intracellular Gram-negative bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae has been associated with atherosclerosis. The presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae has been investigated in fragments of the arterial wall with a technique for DNA identification. METHODS Arterial fragments obtained from vascular surgical procedures in 58 patients were analyzed. From these patients, 39 were males and the mea...

BACKGROUND We investigated the serological association of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the Association of Research in Vision and Ophthalmology abstracts were searched to identify studies investigating the serological association of Chlamydia pneumoniae...

BACKGROUND Cyclosporin A (CsA) induces gingival overgrowth (GO) in up to a quarter of CsA-treated renal transplant recipients. A short-term therapy with azithromycin effectively reduces GO, indicating a possible involvement of microorganisms in the pathogenesis of CsA-induced GO. We aimed to determine if there could be any relationship between infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae and GO pathogen...

Chlamydia pneumoniae, strain TWAR, is a frequent causative agent of acute respiratory disease. We assessed the incidence and prevalence of Chlamydia pneumoniae infections in COPD. We studied, from January 1990 to May 1991, 142 out-patients with acute purulent exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 114 healthy control subjects. Oropharyngeal swab specimens were collect...

BACKGROUND Chlamydia pneumoniae has been hypothesized to play a role in atherothrombosis. However, prospective data relating exposure to Chlamydia pneumoniae and risks of future myocardial infarction (MI) are sparse. METHODS AND RESULTS In a prospective cohort of nearly 15 000 healthy men, we measured IgG antibodies directed against Chlamydia pneumoniae in blood samples collected at baseline ...

Chlamydia pneumoniae has been implicated as a cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in several studies. However, there has been no comprehensive study of the role of Chlamydia species (C. pneumoniae, C. psittaci (avian and feline strains) and C. pecorum) as a cause of CAP. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of C. pneumoniae, C. psittaci and C. pecorum as causes of CAP....

Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia spp., which are associated with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), are difficult to propagate, and can cause clinically indistinguishable disease patterns. During 2011-2012, we used molecular methods to test adult patients in Germany with confirmed CAP for infection with these 2 pathogens. Overall, 12.3% (96/783) of samples were positive for M. pneumoniae an...

Over the past two decades, a number of studies have failed to provide direct evidence of specific microbial chronic infection in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). However, a recent report suggests that there is a specific association of Chlamydia pneumoniae in patients with PBC and that C. pneumoniae or similar antigens might play a role in the pathogenesis of disease. To determine if Chlamydia ...