Quantitative evaluation of chlamydia psittaci infection in three different forms of pulmonary emphysema

Previous investigations detected Chlamydia psittaci (Cp.) in pulmonary emphysema by morphological methods and PCR. Formaldehyde-fixed paraffin-embedded lung tissue from patients with three different forms of emphysema [alpha1-PI-deficiency (n=12), diffuse smokers (n=47) and giant bullous emphysema (n=16)] undergoing surgery was stained with a monoclonal mouse anti-Cp. primary antibody and a peroxidase based detecting system. Presence of Cp. in macrophages, type 2 pneumocytes, bronchiolar epithelial cells, and lymphocytes was counted in 5 high power fields. Lung tissue from patients with hamartochondroma was used…