Chlamydia and Chlamydophila Flashcards
Chlamydiaceae family
What are the genus in this family?
- Chlamydia*
- Chlamydophila*
What are the pathogenic species of the Chlamydiaceae family? (3)
- Chlamydia trachomatis*
- Chlamydophila psittaci*
- Chlamydophila pneumoniae*
Chlamydiaceae family bacteria
Morphology
Habitat
Obligate intracellular pathogens.
very small 0.3uM.
Has an inner and outer membrane and LPS: gram negative, but no peptidoglycan cell wall at all.
Exists as an Elementary body when extracellular: Dense, round, metabolically inactive and infectious ~0.3uM.
Elementary bodies enter cells and form and intracellular Initial body or Reticulate body
Describe the Elementary Body and Reticular Body of chlamydia
Elementary bodies
Are not spores, but are similar.
They can exist outside of the cell, are about 0.3uM
Resistant to trypsin and resistant in general
Do not divide.
Are infectious, and can bind cell receptors and enter cells
Reticular bodies, aka Initial bodies
Are intracellular, are roughly 0.5-1uM
Are metabolically active, but are ATP parasites
Express an ATP/ADP translocator which steals the cells cytosolic ATP.
Are not actually infectious and not toxic
Susceptible to trypsin
What are the subtypes of the Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria?
Chlamydia trachomatis
Divided into two major biotypes which is kind of another word for strain
trachoma biotypes - includes serotypes A,B,C also types D-K which cause oculogenital infections and pneumonia in newborns.
lymphogranuloma venereum - serotypes L1-L3
They are distinguished by their Major Outer Membrane Protein expression MOMP (Like OMP for all the other bacteria)
Chlamydia trachomatis, trachoma
Clinical Disease
C. trachomatis trachoma biovars infect nonciliated columnar cells, cuboidal cells, and transitional epithelial cells.
Urethra, Endometrium and Endocervix, Fallopian tubes, Anorectum, Respiratory tract (terminal bronchioles cuboidal non-ciliated epithelium), Conjunctiva
Diseases: Trachoma (A,B,Ba,C), Infant Pneumonia and Inclusion Conjunctivitis, Urethritis and genital infections (typse D-K)
Women: Cervicitis and Pelvic inflammatory disease (ovaries and fallopian mucinous/purulent inflammation),
Men: Epidymitis (usually unilateral) with fever.
•Trachoma - the leading cause of preventable blindness in the world, endemic to poverty. Transmitted by direct contact or by sharing contaminated fabrics.
–chronic disease, blindness occurs over 10-15 years.
–follicular conjunctivitis - inflammation involves conjunctiva
–conjunctivae become scarred - patient’s eyelids turn inward
–turned-in eyelashes abrade the cornea, secondary infections can develop.
corneal ulceration, scarring - pannus formation (invasion of vessels into the cornea) –
Oculogential C. trachomatis:
STD, sexually transmitted chlamydia.
Lymphogranuloma venerum
Lymphogranuloma venerum (LGV) biovars infect mononuclear phagocytes
The clinical diseases are due to the direct destruction of these targeted cells, and the inflammation of these tissues.
Chlamydia trachomatis
Treatments
Topical treatment is not effective for Trachoma onces its developed in the eye: oral azithromycin
Inclusion conjunctivitis: all newborns given prophylactic erythromycin eyedrops
Infant pneumonia: Oral erythromycin.
Genital chlamydia: 3rd gen Cephalosporin and tetracycline or azithromycin ( a macrolide)
Chlamydia trachomatis
Lymphogranuloma venereum
Clinical disease
Treatment
Transmitted by the serotypes L1, L2, L3.
Causes LGV, lymphogranuloma venereum.
Sexually transmitted.
First, a painless genital papule or ulcer forms then heals.
During this time the bactreia infects the regional lymph nodes which swell over the next 2 months.
Lymph nodes become painful, purulent, and may rupture, draining the pus.
Chlamydophila pneumoniae
Habitat
Transmission
Clinical disease
Human reservoir, Air-borne spread
Causes low fever, dry cough, bronchitits, pneumonia, and mild to severe ARDS.
Disease can be Acute and transient or, Chronic, persistent and remains intracellularly surviving in 50-70% of the adult population .
May contribute to chronic diseases: arthritis, atherosclerosis, alzheimers, MS, Kawasaki syndrome (inflamed blood vessels -strawberry tongue sign), Lung cancer?
Chlamydophila Psittaci
Habitat
Transmission
Clinical disease
Treatment
Widespread infection of Birds. Often found in pet parrots. Often seen in cows, goats, or sheep as weel.
Transmitted when infected dust from feathers or feces is inhaled, causing psittacosis or parrot fever. Human to human transmission is rare.
Causes high fever and atypical pneumonia
Nervous System is often invovled: headache, encephalitis, convulsions, even coma
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Carditis, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly.
Treatment: Macrolides, Doxycycline
