Chlamydia Pneumonia may play role in MS (What about our kids with Autism/Nids)

[Guest guest]

I thought this was interesting, as my son had pneumonia 2 x prior to onset of

autism/nids.....maybe something worth looking into? Labs can confirm presence of

chlamydia bacteria.

Pneumonia Organism May Play Role in MS Development

An agent that causes respiratory tract infections such as

community-acquired pneumonia, called chlamydia pneumonia, may be a factor in the

development of multiple sclerosis (MS) in some patients, according to a study

released during the American Academy of Neurology 51st Annual Meeting April

17-24 in Toronto. 4/23/99 Toronto (April 23, 1999) -- An agent that

causes respiratory tract infections such as community-acquired pneumonia, called

chlamydia pneumonia, may be a factor in the development of multiple sclerosis

(MS) in some patients, according to a study released during the American Academy

of Neurology 51st Annual Meeting April 17-24 in Toronto. These results

suggest that infection of the central nervous system with chlamydia pneumonia is

an early event in MS, and may directly or indirectly be responsible for the

development of the disease, " said study author and neurologist Subramaniam

Sriram, MD, of Vanderbilt Medical Center, in Nashville, TN. " What is not

clear is whether C. pneumonia is the cause of MS, a fortuitous bystander, or

whether it in some way triggers an autoimmune response which causes the

disease. " The cause of MS is not known. In MS, the insulating material of

the nerves, myelin, is destroyed. This leads to problems in vision, balance,

gait, and other neurologic functions. Current theories suggest that a poorly

regulated immune response against common infectious agents may be responsible

for the disease. Chlamydial species are well-known pathogens involved in a

number of human diseases. Chlamydia pneumonia was discovered about 10 years ago

and is now thought to be responsible for many cases of community- acquired

pneumonia. The association between C. pneumonia and MS has not been previously

noted. In a study of 17 patients with newly diagnosed relapsing remitting

MS and 13 patients without the disease, researchers found evidence of the

chlamydia pneumonia organism in the spinal fluid of all 17 MS patients.

In 47 percent of newly diagnosed MS patients, the organism was directly

cultured from cerebrospinal fluid. Using sophisticated genetic tests,

researchers found the DNA of chlamydia pneumonia in the cerebrospinal fluid of

all the MS patients. In contrast, the organism was not found in the cultures of

any of the 13 control patients, and only two had evidence of C. pneumonia DNA.

" There is a possibility that these two patients may develop MS in the future

since their symptoms were suggestive of an initial attack, " Sriram said.

Also, a majority of the MS patients had an antibody response to chlamydial

antigens in the cerebrospinal fluid, indicating evidence of a chronic immune

activation to chlamydia pneumonia. In earlier studies, the researchers had

established that a large number of patients with chronic progressive MS had

evidence of C. pneumonia infection in the cerebrospinal fluid. However, it was

unclear whether the infection was a secondary event following

long-standing inflammatory injury or was directly involved in the immune

process, Sriram said. " It's clear from this study that the association

between MS and the presence of C. pneumonia infection is extremely high--much

higher than any other organism people have looked at in the past, " he said.

" Since a number of currently available antibodies prevent the replication of C.

pneumonia, a therapeutic trial is likely to answer the question of cause and

effect between C. pneumonia and multiple sclerosis, " Sriram said. This

study was supported by the National MS Society. Improving care for patients

with neurological disorders through education and research is the goal of the

American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 15,000 neurologists

and neuroscience professionals.

Editor's Note: Dr. Sriram will present the study at a platform presentation

session during the American Academy of Neurology's 51st Annual Meeting in

Toronto on Friday, April 23, at 2:15 pm in Room 206 ACE of the Metro Toronto

Convention Centre.

http://www.asthmastory.com/cp2.asp

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