RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: To compare the infection rate of Chlamydia pneumoniae in patients with respiratory symptoms and control group, METHODS: we recruited 189 patients (149 adults and 40 pediatric patients) with respiratory symptoms and 197 controls (159 healthy adults and 38 pediatric patients without respiratory symptoms) visited Kyungpook National University Hospital from August 2002 to July 2003. A serological test was done by micro- immunofluorescence (MIF) method. Antibody titers of IgG (1:32 or more) indicate past infection of C. pneumoniae. A recent infection was defined as one in which there is a high titer of IgG antibody (1:512 or more) or a positive IgM antibody (1:16 or more) with a negative for rheumatoid factor. RESULTS: The past infection rate of C. pneumoniae in case group (65.6%) was not significantly higher than 61.4% in control group. The past infection rate of C. pneumoniae of male patients (62.0%) was not significantly higher than 58.7% in control group, and in female showed the same pattern, 70.4% in patients and 63.8% in control group. The recent infection rate of C. pneumoniae in patients (13.2%) was not significantly higher than 9.6% in control group. The recent infection rate of C. pneumoniae of male patients (10.2%) was not significantly higher than 5.4% in control group, and in female showed the same pattern, 17.3% of patients and 13.3% of control group. CONCLUSIONS: The recent infection rate of C. pneumoniae by IgG and IgM serological tests in patients with respiratory symptoms was not significantly higher than that in control group.