Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T05:22:02.255Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The role of Chlamydia pneumoniae in severe acute tonsillitis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

S. W. Hone
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, University College Hospital, Galway, Ireland
J. Moore
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin, Ireland.
J. Fenton
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, University College Hospital, Galway, Ireland
P. K. Gormley
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, University College Hospital, Galway, Ireland
R. Hone*
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin, Ireland.
*
Rosemary Hone, M.D., Department of Microbiology, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland.

Abstract

Chlamydia pneumoniae has been implicated as a cause of tonsillitis and pharyngitis, but the incidence has varied from one to 19 per cent in various studies. We investigated 51 patients admitted to University College Hospital, Galway, with severe tonsillitis. Throat swabs were examined for evidence of Chlamydia pneumoniae using a direct monoclonal antibody test. Blood was taken for serology from 45 patients. A further specimen was taken at six weeks. A control group of 32 blood bank sera was used. Mean hospital stay was three days (one to eight). Five patients (10 per cent) were monospot positive. Chlamydia pneumoniae was identified by direct immunofluorescence on a tonsillar swab from one patient who did not seroconvert. IgG antibody was identified in 13 cases (29 per cent) and in seven of the control group (22 per cent). No serological evidence of recent infection was found. Chlamydia pneumoniae was not found to be a cause of severe acute tonsillitis in our study group.

Type
Main Articles
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Grayston, J. T. (1989) Chlamydia pneumoniae, strain TWAR. Chest 95: 664669.Google ScholarPubMed
Grayston, J. T., Kuo, C. C., Wang, S. P., Altman, J. (1986) A new Chlamydia psittaci strain TWAR, isolated in acute respiratory tract infections. New England Journal of Medicine 315: 161168.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grayston, J. T., Wang, S. P., Kuo, C. C., Campbell, L. A. (1989) Current knowledge on Chlamydia pneumoniae, strain TWAR, an important cause of pneumonia and other acute respiratory diseases. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious DiseaseS 8: 191202.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hashiguchi, K., Ogawa, H., Kazuyama, M. T. (1992) Sero-prevalence of Chlamydia pneumoniae infections in otolaryngeal diseases. Journal of Laryngology and Otology 106: 208210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huovenen, P., Lahtonen, R., Ziegler, T., Meurman, O., Hakkarainen, K., Mittinen, A., Arstilia, P., Eskola, J., Saiku, P. (1989) Pharyngitis in adults: the presence and coexistence of viruses and bacterial organisms. Annals of Internal Medicine 110: 612616.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuo, C. C., Grayston, J. T. (1988) In vitro drug susceptibility of Chlamydia, TWAR. Antimicrobial Agents Chemotherapy 32: 257258.CrossRefGoogle Scholar