College of Medicine, University of Babylon discussed a Ph.D. thesis on the relation between genetic polymorphisms and C. pneumoniae in children with asthma in Iraq by the postgraduate student, Mrs. Raghda Maitham Hamid.

The thesis highlighted that asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the airways in the lungs, as asthma is a major global health problem, as it affects more than 240 million children and adults worldwide.

The thesis demonstrated conducting a molecular and immunological study to reveal the relationship between asthma and Chlamydia pulmonary infection. In addition to determining the effects of genetic variants of IL-4 gene C589T on serum total IgE, serum IL-4 level, IgG and C. pneumoniae IgG levels, asthma severity and asthma control.

The thesis confirmed that children with asthma suffer from persistent Chlamydia pneumoniae infection more than children without asthma, and the presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae IgE provides continuous stimulation of allergic responses by Chlamydia pneumoniae and may contribute to the pathogenesis of asthma.