Wang J H, Liu Y C, Cheng D L, Yeng M Y, Chen Y S, Chen B C
Department of Internal Medicine, Veterans General Hospital-Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Scand J Infect Dis. 1993;25(5):565-8. doi: 10.3109/00365549309008544.
Chlamydia pneumoniae (TWAR) is a relatively newly discovered respiratory tract pathogen which was first isolated in Taiwan. In order to describe the seroepidemiology of C. pneumoniae in Taiwan, we evaluated 1,085 stored serum samples: 904 from patients, 97 from umbilical cord blood samples, and 84 from medical personnel at the Veterans General Hospital-Kaohsiung, between January 1 and April 30, 1991. Antibodies were determined by the use of a microimmunofluorescence test using elementary bodies of C. pneumoniae AR-39 as antigen. Sera were tested with screening titres of 16 and 512 for immunoglobulin G antibody. The antibody prevalence was found to be 23.1% in young children (6 months to 10 years old), rising to 66.7% in teenagers, and to 96.2% in older age groups. These rates were higher than any reported earlier. The progressively increasing rates of seropositivity found in older individuals indicated a surge of reinfection in these age groups. Only 5 cases were found with micro-IF IgG titres equal to or greater than 512. All were asymptomatic according to the hospital records. In addition to a high prevalence rate in Taiwan, the data also showed high infection rates in teenagers and elderly people.
肺炎衣原体（TWAR）是一种相对较新发现的呼吸道病原体，最初在台湾分离得到。为了描述台湾地区肺炎衣原体的血清流行病学情况，我们评估了1991年1月1日至4月30日期间高雄荣民总医院储存的1085份血清样本：904份来自患者，97份来自脐带血样本，84份来自医护人员。使用肺炎衣原体AR - 39的原体作为抗原，通过微量免疫荧光试验测定抗体。血清以16和512的筛查滴度检测免疫球蛋白G抗体。抗体流行率在幼儿（6个月至10岁）中为23.1%，在青少年中升至66.7%，在老年人群中为96.2%。这些比率高于此前任何报道。在老年人中发现的血清阳性率逐渐上升，表明这些年龄组再次感染激增。仅发现5例微量免疫荧光试验免疫球蛋白G滴度等于或大于512的病例。根据医院记录，所有病例均无症状。除了台湾地区的高流行率外，数据还显示青少年和老年人的感染率很高。
