DETECTION OF ANTI-CHLAMYDIA PNEUMONIAE IGE IN CHILDREN WITH REACTIVE AIRWAY DISEASE

An association of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and reactive airway d isease has been demonstrated in children. To determine if C. pneumonia e infection triggers production of C. pneumoniae-specific IgE, sera we re examined from 45 children with and without C. pneumoniae infection. Anti-C. pneumoniae IgE was demonstrated by immunoblotting in 12 (85.7 %) of 14 culture-positive asthmatic patients with wheezing compared wi th only 1 (9.1%) of 11 culture-positive patients with pneumonia, 2 (18 .2%) of 11 culture-negative asthmatic children with wheezing, and 2 (2 2.2%) of 9 culture-negative asymptomatic patients. The most commonly r ecognized proteins were at 98 (82.4%), 78 (58.8%), 58-60 (70.6%), and 36 kDa (64.7%). The presence of anti-C. pneumoniae IgE by immunoblotti ng was not associated with the presence of anti-C. pneumoniae IgG and IgM by microimmunofluorescence. These results suggest that production of specific IgE may be an underlying mechanism leading to reactive air way disease in some patients with C. pneumoniae infection.