A possible role for Chlamydia pneumoniae in vaso-occlusive crisis in sickle cell disease

Abstract EN

Background : Vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) is the most common complication in sickle cell disease (SCD); it causes a wide spectrum of end-organ damage, a process found to be mediated by inflammatory responses.

Through activating endothelial and immune cells, Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cp) infection was postulated to be a factor in the morbidity of acute chest syndrome in sickle cell patients (SCP).

Objective : To provide serological evidence of a possible role of Cp in VOC in SCD by investigating the occurrence of Cp IgG and IgA antibodies in SCD patients compared to control subjects.

Design : Open Controlled Trial.

Setting : Bahrain Defense Force Hospital and Princess Al-Jawhara Center for Molecular Medicine, Arabian Gulf University Bahrain.

Method : Venous blood samples were collected from one hundred and twelve patients who had acute phase of VOC and from one hundred and twelve controls.

Anti-Cp IgG and IgA antibodies were detected by using species specific Cp IgG and IgA enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kits, in both patients and controls sera.

Parametric comparisons were performed using t-test.

Result : The results showed a significant difference in Cp IgG and IgA antibodies prevalence between patients and controls (P<0.0001).

Dual Cp IgG and IgA seropositive were higher in patients than controls.

Conclusion : The study provided serological evidence of a possible role of Cp infection in VOC in the SCD.