[Chlamydia pneumoniae infections--diagnostic methods]

Abstract

Gram-negative bacteria Chlamydia pneumonia was found in 1989 to cause acute and chronic respiratory tract infections. This agent has been as well associated with other disease: atherogenesis and coronary heart disease. This study is aimed both at making an introduction to the issues related to C. pneumoniae diagnosis and presenting contemporary laboratory methods. Given the limitations of traditional diagnostics methods, serodiagnosis (EIA) and nucleic acids amplification (PCR, hybridisation) provide the most convincing evidence of C. pneumoniae infections. Culture and direct fluorescence antibody (DFA) may be useful in confirming these results. A variety of methods applied can provide an opportunity to detect bacteria in different clinical samples--incl. sputum, nasopharyngeal and throat swabs, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and tissues from biopsy and autopsy.