Chlamydial infections of the heart.
Chlamydiae are common human pathogens, causing a broad spectrum of infectious diseases. Chlamydial infections involving the heart have been described in numerous previous reports. These organisms are documented to cause endocarditis, myocarditis and pericarditis. Furthermore, Chlamydia pneumoniae, the recently discovered respiratory pathogen, has also been implicated in coronary artery disease. For the first time the literature on involvement of the heart in chlamydial infections is reviewed. Information on the discovery of Chlamydia species is also included and the problem of the species determination of Chlamydia in interpretation of the older literature is mentioned.
Odeh
M
M
Department of Internal Medicine B, B'nai Zion Medical Center, Technion Faculty of Medicine, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa.
Oliven
A
A
D002689:Chlamydia / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002691:Chlamydophila psittaci / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000382:microbiology; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000382:microbiology; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000382:microbiology; D010493:Pericarditis / Q000382:microbiology