"RELATION OF CHLAMYDIA PNEUMONIAE INFECTION TO DOCUMENTED CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE"

Abstract

The possibility that infectious agents may trigger a cascade of reactions leading to inflammation, atherogenesis and vascular thrombotic events has recently been raised. Chlamydia pneumoniae is an infectious agent that has received the most attention with respect to coronary artery disease (CAD). To determine the relationship between C. pneumoniae and CAD, a case control study was conducted on 167 subjects (81 women and 86 men) who underwent coronary angiography at cardiac catheterization laboratories of our hospital. We measured IgG and IgA antibodies to C. pneumoniae antigens by ELISA method in baseline serum samples from 109 cases (mean age 57 years) who had at least one coronary artery lesion occupying 50% or more of the luminal diameter on coronary angiography and from 58 matched controls (mean age 50 years) who had documented normal coronary arteries. The prevalence of IgG and IgA antibodies to C. pneumoniae showed no case-control differences for IgG (82.6% vs 74.1%) or IgA (23.5% vs 16.7%). These results suggest that C. pneumoniae is not associated with documented CAD. More studies are needed to clarify the possible different effects of C. pneumoniae on atherosclerosis.