Chlamydia and sudden infant death syndrome. A study of 166 SIDS and 30 control cases

TY - JOUR

T1 - Chlamydia and sudden infant death syndrome. A study of 166 SIDS and 30 control cases

AU - Banner, Jytte

AU - Lundemose, A G

AU - Gregersen, M

AU - Helweg-Larsen, K

AU - Simonsen, J

PY - 1990/12

Y1 - 1990/12

N2 - Chlamydia inclusions could be demonstrated by an immunofluorescence assay in formalin-fixed lung sections in 32 of 166 cases (19.4%) of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and in the lungs of only 1 of 30 infants with a known cause of death (3.3%). The difference is statistically significant (P = 0.04). Chlamydia trachomatis is an agent of pneumonia in 1-4 month-old infants who have acquired the disease from an infected cervix during birth, but other chlamydia species are also capable of causing pneumonia. The lung sections of the 32 chlamydia positive SIDS cases did not show typical histological signs of pneumonia. Even though chlamydia inclusions were detected in the lungs of 32 SIDS cases a causal relation between chlamydia infection and SIDS could not be demonstrated.

AB - Chlamydia inclusions could be demonstrated by an immunofluorescence assay in formalin-fixed lung sections in 32 of 166 cases (19.4%) of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and in the lungs of only 1 of 30 infants with a known cause of death (3.3%). The difference is statistically significant (P = 0.04). Chlamydia trachomatis is an agent of pneumonia in 1-4 month-old infants who have acquired the disease from an infected cervix during birth, but other chlamydia species are also capable of causing pneumonia. The lung sections of the 32 chlamydia positive SIDS cases did not show typical histological signs of pneumonia. Even though chlamydia inclusions were detected in the lungs of 32 SIDS cases a causal relation between chlamydia infection and SIDS could not be demonstrated.

KW - Age Distribution

KW - Case-Control Studies

KW - Chlamydia Infections

KW - Denmark

KW - Female

KW - Fluorescent Antibody Technique

KW - Humans

KW - Infant

KW - Infant, Newborn

KW - Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical

KW - Lung

KW - Pregnancy

KW - Pregnancy Complications, Infectious

KW - Prospective Studies

KW - Retrospective Studies

KW - Sudden Infant Death

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 11453089

SN - 0937-9827

VL - 104

SP - 3

EP - 7

JO - International Journal of Legal Medicine (Print)

JF - International Journal of Legal Medicine (Print)

IS - 1

ER -