자궁경부암 환자에서의 Coxiella burnetii 감염실태

Abstract

Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by the rickettsial organism coxiella burnetii, and obligate intracellular organism, living in the phagolysosome of infected cells. coxiella burnetii is extremely infectious for human and animal and it is responsible for both acute and chronic diseae. As in other infections with intracellular parasites, host defence in Q fever is dependent on cell-mediated immunity in which T cells enhance the microbicidal action of macrophages. Recently several cases of Q fever arising in the patient with immunocompromised conditions including malignacy have been reported but little attention was given to the cancer patients with Q fever. The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of serum coxiella burnetii antigen in cervical cancer patients and to compare the prognostic factors of stage, cell type and tumor markers in coxiellemia and non-coxiellemia cervical cancer patients. With use of rabbit antiserum to coxiella burnetii as first antibody and a fluorescein isothyiocyanate-conjugated antiserum to rabbit immunoglobulin as secondary antibody. coxiella burnetii was examined by immunofluorescence method in 20 cervical cancer patients and 10 controls(benign gynecologic disease). Coxiellemia was found in 25% of cervical cancer patients and 0% of controls respectively but statistically showed no significant difference(p>0.05). Also there was no significant difference in stage , cell type, SCC antigen level and urine polyamine between coxillemia and non-coxiellemian cervical cancer patients. In conclusion, We found that 25% of cervical cancer patients were diagnosed as coxiella burnetii infection even though majority of patients did not have clinical symptoms of Q fever. And coxiella burnetii infection was not correlated with stage, cell type and tumor markers in cervical cancer.