Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and atherosclerotic coronary disease

Byline: Rosa Sessa (a), Marisa Di Pietro (a), Iolanda Santino (a), Massimo del Piano (a), Antonio Varveri (c), Armando Dagianti (c), Maria Penco (b) Abstract: Background Previous works have suggested an association between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and coronary heart disease. We evaluated the prevalence of C pneumoniae infection in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods and Results Ninety-eight patients with AMI, 80 patients with CHD, and 50 control subjects matched for age and sex were investigated. Immunoglobulin (Ig)M, IgG, and IgA antibodies to C pneumoniae were measured by the microimmunofluorescence test. IgM antibodies were not found; IgG positivity was found in 58.2% of the AMI group, 60.0% of the CHD group, and 38% of the control group, whereas for IgA, positivity was found in 33.7%, 43.7%, and 22% of cases in AMI, CHD, and control groups, respectively. Titers indicating reinfection were found in AMI and CHD groups in 6.1% and 10%, respectively, whereas titers indicating chronic infection were found in 14% of the AMI group and 25% of the CHD group. A significant correlation was found between chronic C pneumoniae infection and dyslipidemias in the AMI and CHD groups (P = .003; P = .0006). Conclusions The results suggest that chronic C pneumoniae infection may be associated with the development of atherosclerotic coronary disease. In our next step, we will test whether antichlamydial antibiotics may help to reduce the risk of atherosclerotic disease. (Am Heart J 1999;137:1116-9.) Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Clinical Microbiology, 'La Sapienza' University Rome, Italy (b) Department of Internal Medicine, University, L'Aquila Rome, Italy (c) Department of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Sciences, 'La Sapienza' University. Rome, Italy Article History: Received 9 March 1998; Accepted 13 August 1998 Article Note: (footnote) [star] Reprint requests: Rosa Sessa, PhD, Istituto di Microbiologia, Universita 'La Sapienza,' P.le Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Roma, Italy., [star][star] 0002-8703/99/$8.00 + 0 4/1/93845