Chlamydia pneumoniae

Abstract

Chlamydia pneumoniae is a Gram-negative intracellular bacterium that replicates in a biphasic developmental cycle. The infective and invasive elementary body (EB) survives extracellularly and is converted into a non-infective reticulate body (RB) that replicates by binary fusion. It has worldwide distribution and it causes acute upper and lower respiratory infections. C. pneumoniae infection in elderly people usually has the characteristics of atypical pneumonia. Seroepidemiological studies have shown an association between C. pneumoniae and various chronic diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and atherosclerosis. Several studies have demonstrated C. pneumoniae in atherosclerotic lesions from the coronary and carotid arteries, the aorta and other peripheral arteries. The treatment of C. pneumoniae infection is problematic because it takes the form of chronic or persistent infection which often becomes reactivated.