To the Editor: Socan and colleagues (Aug. 11 issue)1 describedan 18-year-old man with pneumonia and meningoencephalitis thoughtto be due to Chlamydia pneumoniae. Their diagnosis was basedon serologic findings (high IgG and IgM antibody titers to C.pneumoniae by microimmunofluorescence assay at presentation,with declining titers thereafter), positive direct-immunofluorescencetests of the cerebrospinal fluid and throat washings, and theexclusion of many other likely agents.
Our experience is that the microimmunofluorescence test forC. pneumoniae antibody lacks both sensitivity and specificityfor infection when it is compared with culture and the polymerasechain reaction.2,3 This is especially true . . . [Full Text of this Article]
References
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