Chlamydia pneumoniae strain TWAR antibody and angiographically demonstrated coronary artery disease.
A recent case-control study from Finland reported a strong association between high antibody titers to Chlamydia pneumoniae, strain TWAR, and both chronic coronary heart disease and acute myocardial infarction. The current case-control study investigated the relation between C. pneumoniae immunoglobulin G antibody titers and angiographically diagnosed coronary artery disease. Cases (n = 461) were angiography patients with at least one coronary artery lesion occupying at least 50% of the luminal diameter. Controls (n = 95) were angiography patients with no demonstrable coronary artery disease. After standardization for age and gender, the geometric mean antibody titer was higher for cases than for controls (30.0 versus 24.0, p = 0.04). The estimated risk of coronary artery disease, adjusted for age and gender, was greater among subjects with high (greater than or equal to 1:64) antibody titers than among subjects with low (less than or equal to 1:8) antibody titers (relative risk, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-4.0). The risk associated with a high antibody titer was particularly great for coronary artery disease with five or more lesions (relative risk, 2.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-7.0). The results of this cross-sectional study support an association between infection with C. pneumoniae and coronary artery disease.
Thom
D H
DH
Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
Wang
S P
SP
Grayston
J T
JT
Siscovick
D S
DS
Stewart
D K
DK
Kronmal
R A
RA
Weiss
N S
NS
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002689:Chlamydia / Q000276:immunology*; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000382:microbiology; D012307:Risk Factors
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G