Bacteria 'cause asthma' - Chlamydia pneumoniae

[Guest guest]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1372000/1372007.stm

Thursday, 7 June, 2001, 00:02 GMT 01:02 UK

Bacteria 'cause asthma'

The cause of asthma has been unclear

Bacteria may be to blame for many cases of asthma, say scientists.

The cause of asthma has long remained one of the most tantalising of medical

mysteries - particularly as the disease is on the increase world-wide.

But scientists have come up with two pieces of research that provide

compelling evidence that bacteria are to blame.

Researchers in Finland and US have shown that the disease may be triggered

by proteins produced by a common bacterial infection. And separate work by

US researchers has shown that antibiotics can help ease sufferers' symptoms.

The guilty party appears to be a bug called Chlamydia pneumoniae, already

known to be a common cause of lung infections.

Blood samples

A team from the National Public Health Institute in Oulu, Finland, tested

the theory that asthmatics are much more sensitive than other people to the

presence of a protein produced by C. pneumoniae.

It is too early to know whether such an association is genuine

Dr Martyn Partridge

They analysed blood samples taken from asthmatics, people with bronchitis

and healthy people.

They found that the blood of asthmatics was much more likely to contain

tell-tale signs of an immune system response to C. pneumoniae protein.

Lead researcher Dr Maija Leinonen told New Scientist magazine: " It's the

first time that this protein has been shown to be associated with asthma. "

Dr Leinonen believes that long-term infections may put the immune system

into over-ride, leading to inflammation and asthma attacks.

If the theory is correct, it suggests that antibiotics could help asthma

sufferers.

This was exactly what happened when the drugs were given to asthmatics in a

trial carried out by researchers from the National Jewish Medical Research

Center in Denver.

Daily doses

The scientists gave 55 people with asthma twice-daily doses of an antibiotic

called clarithromycin for six weeks.

About half the volunteers were infected with C. pneumoniae or another

bacterium called Mycoplasma pneumoniae - and these people showed clear

improvements in lung function.

The researchers believe that C. pneumoniae could play a role in as many as

half of all cases of asthma in adults.

However, Dr Margaret Hammerschlag, of the State University of New York, is

sceptical.

She found that the bacterium was only present in a minority of children with

asthma, and in no adult sufferers at all.

She said: " It probably does play a role sometimes. But it ain't the only

player. "

Dr Martyn Partridge, chief medical advisor for the National Asthma Campaign,

told BBC News Online: " This is certainly an interesting paper however, it is

too early to know whether such an association is genuine and therefore it is

too early to talk about treating it with antibiotics.

" It is an area which requires more work and I shall be watching with

interest. "

also read:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1360000/1360338.stm

'High asthma rates' away from cities

[Guest guest]

Unless c. pneumonia is different than chlamydia, I present the

following:

Chlamydia is better known as ornothosis (from wild birds) and

psittacosis (from cage birds). This is very possible that a small

number of children are affected by this bacteria if they live in areas

that are heavily infested with pigeons. Adults, too, would be prone to

the same thing in these areas if pigeons or wild birds are carrying

and shedding the bacterium. It would also be present in fecal dust

which can be tracked in to the home or wherever it happens to fly.

This can be carried in any bird anywhere. I blame the ignorance of

doctors for not testing those who have any of the symptoms of this

disease. Anyone with any heavy chest congestion should be tested. Of

course, this bacteria (similar to Lyme bacteria) can settle in other

parts of the body too and produce symptoms such as diarrhea. The most

common is heavy chest congestion. If not treated properly, it can be

fatal. Doxycycline has always been the favored treatment.

Barth

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