Chlamydia pneumoniae (TWAR) in atherosclerosis of the carotid artery.
BACKGROUND
Chlamydia pneumoniae has been demonstrated in atherosclerotic lesions of coronary arteries and aorta. A seroepidemiological study found C pneumoniae-specific antibody more frequently in persons with significant carotid artery wall thickening than in matched control subjects.


RESULTS
Fresh-frozen or formalin-fixed tissue obtained at carotid endarterectomy was examined by immunocytochemistry (ICC) and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of C pneumoniae. Five of five fresh-frozen and formalin-fixed carotid endarterectomy specimens were positive for C pneumoniae by ICC (three of five by PCR). A total of 56 archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded carotid endarterectomy tissues from three hospitals were examined by ICC. Thirty-two were positive. Thirteen normal carotid artery tissue sections from six patients were negative for C pneumoniae.


CONCLUSIONS
C pneumoniae organisms are frequently found in the advanced carotid atherosclerotic lesions of persons undergoing endarterectomy. Although these findings do not establish causality for C pneumoniae in carotid artery atherosclerosis, they should stimulate investigation of a possible causal or pathogenic role for the organism in the disease.
Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle 98195-7236, USA.
J T
JT
Grayston
C C
CC
Kuo
A S
AS
Coulson
L A
LA
Campbell
R D
RD
Lawrence
M J
MJ
Lee
E D
ED
Strandness
S P
SP
Wang
D000368:Aged; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000382:microbiology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial