Case report: A clinical case study of six patients with Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia

Jinmeng Dai; Xue Lian; Juanfen Mo; Xiaosi Li; Weiqiang Mo; Haiqin Wang; Jianping Jiang

doi:10.3389/fcimb.2023.1084882

Case report: A clinical case study of six patients with Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia

Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2023 Feb 24:13:1084882. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1084882. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Jinmeng Dai^{1

2}, Xue Lian^{1

3}, Juanfen Mo⁴, Xiaosi Li⁵, Weiqiang Mo¹, Haiqin Wang¹, Jianping Jiang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China.
² Department of Respiratory Medicine, Jiashan County Yaozhuang Town Health Centre, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China.
³ Department of Respiratory Medicine, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, China.
⁴ The Key Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China.
⁵ Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of Chlamydia psittaci (C. psittaci) pneumonia.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of six patients with C. psittaci pneumonia who were admitted to the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine of the Second Hospital of Jiaxing from December 2021 to September 2022.

Results: All patients reported a fever and other accompanying symptoms, including cough (5/6), chest tightness (1/6), fatigue (2/6), and headache (1/6). Laboratory results showed that all patients had high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP≥70 mg/L), procalcitonin (PCT; 2 patients with PCT levels ≥0.5 ng/L), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were elevated in 3/6 and of 2/6 patients, respectively. Chest computed tomography (CT) of most patients showed patchy, high-density shadows with partial consolidation, accompanied by air bronchogram signs and pleural effusion. Six patients were diagnosed with C. psittaci pneumonia using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS). They showed favorable outcomes following immediate adjustment of the regimen to doxycycline-based therapy and hydration, nutrition, and other follow-up treatments. In the imaging findings obtained at one-two month, the lesions were completely cleared, suggesting a favorable prognosis.

Conclusion: Patients with C. psittaci pneumonia commonly present sepsis and rapidly progressing disease. Early diagnosis is critical for C. psittaci pneumonia using mNGS, which can lead to favorable prognoses via immediate adjustment therapies.

Keywords: chlamydia; doxycycline; mNGS; pneumonia; psittacosis.

Publication types

Case Reports
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Chlamydophila psittaci*
Humans
Lung
Pneumonia*
Psittacosis*
Retrospective Studies

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Health Bureau of Zhejiang Province (grant no. 2022PY026), and Science and Technology Bureau of Jiaxing (grant no. 2022AD30028).