Imune response to chlamydial MOMP
The immune response to chlamydial major outer membrane protein (MOMP) is a T-cell dependent event characterized by delayed antibody appearance after infection and persistence over many years even if the pathogens had been eradicated by treatment.

Diagnosis
For the etiological diagnosis of Chlamydia pneumoniae-triggered upper and lower respiratory tract infections the most suitable method is serology. As the prevalence of antibodies against the C. pneumoniae MOMP in the normal population is high, diagnosis of current infections generally is difficult.
The medac C. pneumoniae sELISAs allow discrimination between current disease stages and past infections by IgA and IgM, additionally by defined IgG index values which correspond to Grayston‘s microimmunofluorescence (MIF) titer criteria.
The medac C. pneumoniae ELISAs plus allow identification of disease stages with the medac Single Point Quantification (SPQ).


Indications for C. pneumoniae serology with the medac Chlamydia pneumoniae IgG, IgA, and IgM ELISA systems

· Diagnostic differentiation between C. pneumoniae infections and other pathogens (viruses, bacteria)
· Identification of C. pneumonia-triggered acute and chronic infections of the upper and lower respiratiry tract
· Discrimination between current and past infections
· Seroepidemiological investigations

The following test systems are available:
· Chlamydia pneumoniae-IgG- and IgA-sELISA medac (semiquantitative)
· Chlamydia pneumoniae-IgG- and IgA-ELISA plus medac (quantitative)
· Chlamydia peumoniae-IgM-sELISA medac (qualitative)


For test procedure and test performance please refer to the corresponding Directions for use.