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A population based seroepidemiological survey of Chlamydia pneumoniae infections in schoolchildren

¹ Department of Public Medicine Sciences, UCO Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Trieste and IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo", Trieste, Italy
² Department of Public Medicine Sciences, UCO Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Trieste and IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo"
³ Department of Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, UCO Paediatric Clinic, University of Trieste and IRCCS "Burlo Garofolo"
⁴ Department of Medicine and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

Correspondence to:
Professor C Campello
UCO Igiene e Medicina Preventiva, Via dell’Istria 65/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy; campello{at}burlo.trieste.it Aim: A serosurvey was carried out in schoolchildren from a northeastern area of Italy to define the burden of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection.

Methods: A sample of 649 schoolchildren underwent a simplified version of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire and IgG and IgA antibodies were investigated using an enzyme immunoassay, followed by a microimmunofluorescence assay in reactive sera.

Results: Of the children examined, 29% and 19.7% had IgG and IgA antibodies, respectively. The IgG prevalence increased with age. No other sociodemographical variable was related to C pneumoniae infection. An association was established between IgA prevalence and previous otitis media.

Conclusions: A mesoendemic (intermediate between high and low endemic level) pattern of C pneumoniae infection is present in schoolchildren from this area and the prevalence rate is related to age. Moreover, this is the first epidemiological evidence of the role of C pneumoniae in otitis.

Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; EIA, enzyme immunoassay; MIF, microimmunofluorescence; OR, odds ratio

Keywords: Chlamydia pneumoniae; epidemiology; antibodies; schoolchildren