Seroprevalence of Chlamydophila pneumoniae in HIV-infected children in Vietnam

A total of 89 blood samples collected from HIV-infected infants and children from provinces of southern Vietnam who were hospitalized at Children's Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City, during the 1-year period from October 2004 to September 2005 were submitted to serological screening for IgG, IgA, and IgM antibodies against Chlamydophila pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae). The presence of this microorganism was also evaluated by PCR. The results showed that 64 % of the samples were positive for anti-C. pneumoniae IgG, 31.5 % were positive for IgA, and 3.4 % were positive for IgM. The highest prevalences of IgG and IgA positivity, 75 % and 66.7 %, respectively, were noted in the 1- to 2-year-old age group. However, all the samples were negative for C. pneumoniae by PCR. The study revealed a high seroprevalence of C. pneumoniae in Vietnamese infants and children with HIV/AIDS.