RESPIRATORY TRACT
INFECTIONS CAUSED BY CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS IN CHILDREN OVER 1 YEAR OF AGE
Wang T-L, Chen Z-M,
Zhao S-A
Children's Hospital,
Zhejing University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
Objective: Investigation of Chlamydia trachomatis (C.
trachomatis) infections in children suffering from respiratory tract
infections ver 1 year of age.
Methods: From December 1998 to March 2000, C. trachomatis
DNA In nasopharyngeal aspirates from 4312 hospitalized children with
respiratory tract infections were detected by Fluorogenic quantitative
polymerase chain reactive
(PCR) for evidence of
infection with C. trachomatis. Clinical data of 250 patients with
positive C. trachomatis PCR were analyzed.
Results: Positive results signifying C. trachomatis infections
were observed in 250 cases (5.8%). Of these 250 children, 142 were younger
than 1 year of age, 77 aged 1 to 3 year-old and 31 over 1 year of age
(4.6:2.5:1). Upper respiratory tract infection occurred more often in
patients over 3 years of age than those aged 1 to 3 year-old (P<0.05).
Of the 77 patients with C. trachomatis pneumonia over 1 year of age, fever
occurred in 85.7%, high fever in 31%, rales in 80.5%, wheezs in 24.7%, high
WBC counts in 29.9% and pleurisy in 1.3%. Roentgenographic finging were
described as bronchopneumonia or interstitial pneumonia in 87.7% of the
children with C. trachomatis pneumonia aged 1 to 3 year-old and in 45% of
children older than 3 years of age (P<0.01). The main roentgenographic
changes of the patients older than 3 years of age were lobar involvement
with unilateral centrally
dense infiltrates(consolidation of part of a lobe).
Conclusion: C. trachomatis might cause respiratory
tract infections in children over 1 year of age. It might be one of the
pathogens causing community-acquired pneumonia. the clinical pattern of C.
trachomatis pneumonia might vary according to patient’s age.