Is there a relationship between Parkinson’s disease and <i>Chlamydia pneumoniae</i>?

Abstract

Objectives: The aim was to investigate a possible relationship between Chlamydia pneumoniae and Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Study Design: Serum samples obtained from a cohort of 51 patients with PD and from 37 age‑ and sex‑matched controls were assessed for the presence of antibodies. The control group was selected from healthy people. In both groups, 5 mL of blood was taken and after centrifugation frozen at –80°C. Presence and concentration for C. pneumoniae IgM and IgG were determined by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence (IFA), using C. pneumoniae IgG and IgM kit (Euroimmun, Germany).
Results: Chlamydia pneumoniae IgG was positive in 50 (98%) patients in ELISA study. C. pneumoniae IgG was positive in 34 (92%) control subjects in ELISA study. C. pneumoniae IgG positivity in patients was slightly higher, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.17). No statistically significant difference was found between the patient and the control groups in IFA study (P ≥ 0.5). C. pneumoniae IgM results (both ELISA and IFA study) was negative in the both PD group and control group.
Conclusion: The present study indicated that the associations between PD and C. pneumoniae was suggestive.

Key words: Chlamydia pneumoniae, etiology, Parkinson’s disease