Influence of iron restriction on Chlamydia pneumoniae and C-trachomatis

Iron is an essential metabolite for pathogenic bacteria, and the specificit y exhibited by bacteria for host-iron chelates may be correlated with host and tissue tropism, The effect of iron restriction on Chlamydia pneumoniae acid C, trachomatis was studied by use of the iron-chelating compound defer oxamine, Growth of C, pneumoniae was inhibited much more than that of C, tr achomatis and the effect of iron restriction largely depended on the cell l ine used for propagation. This might reflect differences in tissue tropism of the two chlamydial species. As iron levels are usually higher in men tha n in women, this might also be connected with the higher prevalence rate of C. pneumoniae antibodies in males, observed in all populations studied so far.