Chlamydia and Chlamydophila Flashcards
Physical description of organism
- obligate intracellular parasite
- small genome; lacks metabolic genes and steals ATP
Cell wall of organisms
- lacks MurNAc(not true PG), but has PBPs
- 15 servers based on LPS antigens
Type of host cells
- eukaryotic host cells
- embryonated chicken eggs
- McCoy cells in monolayer tissue
- mouse brains
Two forms involved in the life cycle of organism
Elementary bodies and Reticulate bodies
Basic description of both forms
- elementary bodies: infective
- reticulate bodies: replicative
Description of elementary bodies
- 0.3um diameter
- electron dense nucleoid
- tough membrane w/S-S
Description of reticulate bodies
- 1.0um diameter
- diffuse EM staining
- fragile w/SH HS
- more ribosomes
Clinical presentation of organism
- Trachoma
- infection at birth from infected canal or contact or vector
- mucopurulent discharge, pannus formation(keratnized cornea), cornea obscuration and eyelid involvement(trichiasis)
- irritation from eyelashes+pannus+bacteria lead to blindness
Clinical presentation of organism
- Inclusion conjunctivitis
- similar to trachoma, not severe
- neonate from infected birth
- associated respiratory comps.
Clinical presentation of organism
- Neonatal pneumonia
- shortness of breath, no fever
- occur in newborn with incl. conjun.
Clinical presentation of organism
- Chlamydia
- STD
- Males
a. nongonococcal urethritis
b. epididymitis
c. prostatitis
d. normally self limiting
- Females
a. urethritis
b. cervicitis
- salpingitis/PID
Clinical presentation of organism
- Latent infection(lymphogranuloma venereum)
- small abscess, and initially heals quickly
- inguinal buboes follow
- fever and pain
- may turn black, never cervical LN
- may become chronic lead to fibrous lymphatic restrictions or bowel obstructions
Epidemiology of organism
- STD most common type in NA, SA, Eur
- Trachoma common where hot, dry areas with poor clean water
Pathogenesis of organism
- invasivness is caused by elementary bodies, binding to host receptor
- pathogen mediated endocytosis via T3SS effectors that remodel cytoskeleton
- induce cytokines, IL1 and cause inflammation
- tend to remain in host cells
Control of organism
- vaccine ineffective
- screening is key, PCR common
- azithromycin
- surgery or epilation for trichiasis
- tetracycline or macrolides
Description of C. pneumoniae
- jumped to humans as a zoonosis from koalas?
- high infection rate but most asymptomatic
- mild URT disease may progress
- found in atherosclerotic plaques
- asthma, stroke, Alzheimers
- tretracycline might help
Description of C. psittaci
- acute, severe pneumonia and sepsis with patchy, well-defined lung involvement
- always transmitted by contact with birds
- tetracycline