Atypical and Typical Bacteria in Children with Community Acquired Pneumonia.

This study seeks to determine the pathogens in respiratory specimens and blood serum obtained from children who present with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) diagnosed on the basis of clinical and radiological evidence. The study group consisted of 46 hospitalized children aged 1-11 years. The material for research consisted of pharyngeal swabs and samples of blood serum. One hundred and thirty eight pharyngeal swabs were examined for the presence of C. pneumoniae antigen, C. pneumoniae DNA, and for typical pathogens. C. pneumoniae DNA was detected in pharyngeal swabs with nested PCR. Classical microbiological culture was used for detection of typical bacteria. ELISA test were used for detection anti-C. pneumoniae and anti-M. pneumoniae antibodies in the serum. C. pneumoniae DNA was identified in 10.9% of children. Positive culture for typical pathogens was observed in 8.7% of children. Specific anti-C. pneumoniae IgM antibodies were found in 8.7% of children, and IgG and IgA antibodies in 1 child each. Specific anti-M. pneumoniae IgG antibodies were found in 13.1% of children and IgM antibodies in 1 child. We conclude that the underlying bacterial etiology of CAP is rather rarely conclusively confirmed in children. Nonetheless, determining the etiology of CAP is essential for the choice of treatment to optimize the use and effectiveness of antimicrobials and to avoid adverse effect. Due to considerable variations in the power of detection of the type of atypical bacteria causing CAP, the search for the optimum diagnostic methods continues.

Respiratory infection caused by Chlamydophila pneumoniae in children and adolescents in the Lower Silesia Region of Poland.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence of Chlamydia pneumoniae respiratory tract infection in children and adolescents in the Lower Silesia Region in Poland in 2009. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 641 throat swabs obtained from 326 girls and 315 boys, aged 11 months to 18 years, were assessed diagnostically. The patients enrolled into the study were treated on an outpatient basis due to various, non-specific respiratory ailments. The most common presenting clinical symptom of a respiratory problem was dry cough, which occurred in 295 studied subjects, followed by runny nose and cough with discharge in 176 subjects, and other minor symptoms in 35 subjects. The assessment was conducted by an indirect immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) Chlamydia Testing kit (Cellabs, Sydney, Australia). RESULTS: Overall, Chlamydia infection was detected in the respiratory tract in 43.1% (276/ 641) of the children, with no clear gender differences. Of the 295 subjects presenting with dry cough, 122 (41.4%) had positive tests for Chlamydia. Of the 176 subjects with runny nose and cough and the 35 subjects with other symptoms, 83 (47.2%) and 8 (22.9%) had positive tests for Chlamydia, respectively. In the asymptomatic children who had direct contact with a Chlamydia infected person, there were 29.6% (8/27) positively tested cases, whereas in the children presenting symptoms, the percentage of positive tests was 48.3% (29/60). CONCLUSIONS: In children living in the Lower Silesia Region of Poland, there is a substantial ∼50% rate of Chlamydia infection, transmitted via airborne droplets. The finding of Chlamydia infection should be the signal for testing other subjects from the child's closest environment.

[Sensitivity and specificity of the Chlamydiazyme test in comparison with tissue culture in the light of our studies]. / Czulosc i swoistosc testu Chlamydiazyme w porównaniu z hodowla w swietle badan wlasnych.

The Chlamydiazyme Test was used in the laboratory examination of 1139 patients (716 women, 368 men, 55 children) hospitalized in the departments of urology, nephrology and gynaecology. Urethral and cervical smears were examined. In comparison with the culture method for C. trachomatis on McCoy cells the Chlamydiazyme test had a 91.6% agreement of the positive and negative results. The disagreeing results, that is only Chlamydiazyme test positive or only culture positive, accounted respectively for 2.1% and 6.2% of the results. The sensitivity of the Chlamydiazyme test was 74.6% and its specificity was 97.2%.