Chlamydia pneumoniae infection of the central nervous system

Chlamydia pneumoniae is a common respiratory pathogen that is now being implicated in a number of chronic diseases. That the organism can infect vascular endothelium, macrophages and smooth muscle cells suggests that it may play a role in many systemic diseases. The present review focuses on the possibility that the central nervous system can also be a target of this agent. The tropism of C. pneumoniae to the neural tissue suggests it may play a role in diverse neurologic diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and giant-cell arteritis. Curr Opin Neurol 14:355-359. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.