Studies on Chlamydia Infections, Especially, on C. Pneumonia Strain TWAR and Sero-Clinical Epidemiology

1.肺炎衣原体感染血清学诊断方法的建立：1.肺炎衣原体感染的血清学研究表明，MFA抗体滴定方法具有较高的特异性，为肺炎衣原体感染的流行病学和临床研究奠定了基础。肺炎衣原体感染的血清流行病学：我们在日本西部地区对健康人和呼吸道感染患者进行了血清流行病学研究。以1987~1990年1745例患者的血清为研究对象。成人肺炎衣原体抗体阳性率为67.4%，对照组为74.2%。肺炎衣原体抗体(Ig G)和Ig A抗体滴度较高，分别为512和128。在成人抗体携带率性别方面，男性明显高于女性。两组儿童5岁及以下的初次阳转率均为10%，6岁以后急剧上升，达到60%或以上，此后基本持平。肺炎衣原体感染的临床研究我们对22例肺炎衣原体引起的呼吸道感染进行了研究，其中包括1例家族性感染。我们还在养老院发现了一例流行病例。从这些结果来看，肺炎球菌在日本也很普遍，是呼吸道感染的重要病原体之一。

1. Establishment of serodiagnostic method for C. Pneumonia infection.The specificity of the antibody titration by MFA was demonstrated in our serological study on mice after the infection, it seems to be useful for studing as eroepidemiology and clinical study for C. Pneumoniae infection.2. Seroepidemiology of C. Pneumonia infection.We carried out a seroepidemiological study on healthy individuals and patients with respiratory infections in the western part of Japan. Sera from 1745 cases (1987-1990) were used as the subjects. Positive serum antibodies (IgG fraction (]SY.gtoreq.[)64) against C. Pneumonia in adult were found, 67.4% of controls and 74.2% of patients, respectively. Very high titers of antibody (IgG (]SY.gtoreq.[)512 and IgA (]SY.gtored.[)128) against C. Pneumonia were found more frequently among the patients. As for sexes in carrying of the antibody in adults, significantly higher incidence was observed in men than in women. The primary seroconversion rates in both groups were 10% at age 5 or less but increased sharply after age 6 to reach 60% or more and almost leveled off thereafter.3. Clinical study of C. Pneumonia infection.We studied 22 cases of respiratory infection caused by C. Pneumonia, including one familial infection case. We also found an epidemic case in our nursing home.From these results, it suggested that C. Pneumonia is very commonly prevalent in Japan as well and plays a role as one of the important pathogens of respiratory infections.