ACTA FAC MED NAISS 2008; 25 (1): 29-33

Original article

CAMPYLOBACTER JEJUNI AND POSTINFECTIVE CHRONIC SEQUELS: JOINTS  MANIFESTATIONS

Biljana Miljkovic-Selimovic1,
Tatjana Babic2,
Bojana Stamenkovic3,
Ljiljana Ristic2,
Gordana  Tasic1,
Branislava Kocic1,

1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Nis
2Public Health Institute Nis
3Institut for Treatment and Rehabilitation "Niska Banja"

 

SUMMARY

       The aim of the paper was to investigate the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders in patients following enterocolitis caused by C.jejuni and the role of C.jejuni in triggering the seronegative spondyloarthropathies detecting specific antibodies in patient sera. We investigated 146 patients with C.jejuni diarrhea and 30 patients with seronegative spondyloarthropathies. Stool samples were submitted to the Center for Microbiology at the Public Health Institute for C.jejuni detection. In each patient with seronegative spondyloarthropathies, one serum sample was examined for antibodies against C.jejuni using complement fixation test. Rheumatic manifestations seen in 146 (11%) patients with C.jejuni enterocolitis  were arthralgia, myalgia, enthesitis and reactive arthritis. The cases of reactive arthritis caused by C.jejuni are the first reported cases in Serbia and Montenegro. In the group of patients (30 pts) with seronegative spondyloarthropathies, (Reiter's syndrome, Morbus Bechterew, enteropathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, oligoarthritis) antibodies against Campylobacter jejuni were noticed in 26,7%. There were statistically significant differences between the presence of antibodies in the group of patients and the control group (p<0.05) No C.jejuni were discovered in the stools of these patients. In conclusion, based on the data obtained, C.jejuni may be an important factor in triggering the reactive arthritis, but for the detection of its role in other seronegative spondyloarthropathies, long-term follow-up studies of patients with C.jejuni enterocolitis are necessary.  The prevention of infective disease can forestall chronic sequels, too.

             Key words: Campylobacter jejuni, postinfective sequels, musculosceletal system