Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) pneumoniae in the Alzheimer's brain
Open accessAbstract
We assessed the presence and characteristics of the intracellular pathogen Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) pneumoniae in brain-tissue samples from 25 patients with late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 27 non-AD control individuals. 20/27 AD patients, but only 3/27 controls, were PCR-positive in multiple assays targetting the Cpn1046 and Cpn0695 genes. Culture of the organism from brain-tissue homogenate from one AD patient, and assessment of various chlamydial transcripts in RNA preparations from several patients, demonstrated that the organisms were viable and metabolically active in those samples. Immunohistochemical analyses showed that astrocytes, microglia, and neurons all served as host cells for C. pneumoniae in the AD brain, and that infected cells were found in close proximity to both neuritic senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the AD brain. These observations confirm and significantly extend our earlier study suggesting that this unusual pathogen may play a role in the neuropathogenesis characteristic of AD.
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C. pneumoniae DNA was found in 80% of patient brains, compared to 11% of control brains.
“More recently, C. pneumoniae DNA was found in 80% of patient brains, compared to 11% of control brains11.”
From Chlamydia pneumoniae can infect the central nervous system via the olfactory and trigeminal nerves and contributes to Alzheimer’s disease risk (2022) · cites this paper as [11]
C. pneumoniae antigens have been detected inside both astrocytes and microglia in post-mortem human brains.
“C. pneumoniae antigens have been detected inside both astrocytes and microglia in post-mortem human brains9,11,67,68.”
From Chlamydia pneumoniae can infect the central nervous system via the olfactory and trigeminal nerves and contributes to Alzheimer’s disease risk (2022) · cites this paper as [11]
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- Authors
- Gérard, H. C., Dreses-Werringloer, U., Wildt, K. S., Deka, S., Oszust, C., Balin, B. J., Frey, W. H., Bordayo, E. Z., Whittum-Hudson, J. A., & Hudson, A. P.
- Affiliations
- Wayne State University (US)
- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (US)
- Regions Hospital (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hudson, Alan P.
- Venue
- FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2006-12
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 355-366
- ISSN
- 0928-8244 (ISSN-L)
- 1574-695X
- OpenAlex
- W2026689451
- Cited by
- 186
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 4.85
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Digital Commons - PCOM (Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (44055)
- National Institute on Aging (AG 08671, P50AG008671)
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (AI-44055, R01AI044493, R01AI044055, AI44493)
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (AR-47186, R01AR048331, AR-48331, R03AR047186)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Keywords
- Chlamydia pneumoniae, Alzheimer's disease, late-onset Alzheimer's disease, intracellular pathogens, neuropathogenesis, neurofibrillary tangles, astrocytes, microglia, neurons, host cells, brain infection
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alzheimer Disease, Brain, Chlamydia Infections, DNA, Bacterial, Female, Humans, Immunohistochemistry, Male, Middle Aged, Case-Control Studies, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, In Situ Hybridization
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