Chlamydia pneumoniae and mycoplasma infections and asthma

The causal relationship between asthma attacks and viral respiratory infections has been well understood, and the discovery of chlamydia pneumoniae in the 80s of the 20th century is also one of the common pathogens in respiratory tract infections. Chlamydia pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections are worldwide and can be endemic in all seasons. Repeated infection is more common, and can cause pneumonia, tracheitis and other lower sensations (75%) and upper sensations such as sinusitis, otitis media, and pharyngitis (25%). The positive rate of chlamydia pneumoniae lgeG antibody in respiratory tract infections is very high (53%+16% abroad, 70%-93% in China), more than 60% of chlamydia pneumoniae infections in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 71% in severe cases, and 10% of the pathogens in community-acquired pneumonia are Chlamydia pneumoniae.

The clinical manifestations of Chlamydia pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection are non-specific, mild and severe, mainly pneumonia, usually mild symptoms, including fever, cough, chills, chest pain, myalgia, etc., fewer pulmonary signs, and chest X-ray signs are more obvious. It can also be accompanied by extrapulmonary manifestations such as encephalitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Chlamydia pneumoniae infection has also been found in some patients with asthma, sarcoidosis, pericarditis, myocarditis, endocarditis, vasculitis, coronary arteriosclerosis and myocardial infarction.

How do these two pathogen infections relate to asthma?

1. About 10% of the patients with acute asthma attacks had acute chlamydia, which was higher than that of the control group.

2. Chlamydia pneumoniae infection is mainly manifested as chronic infection, superinfection and mixed infection in asthma.