title: The progression of lower limb atherosclerosis is associated with IgA antibodies against Chlamydia pneumoniae.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to study the influence of serologically diagnosed chronic infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae on the progression of lower limb atherosclerosis in a group of disposed men.
  
  
  METHODS
  the highest systolic brachial and lowest systolic ankle blood pressures were followed for an average of 2.7 years in 129 men aged 65-73 years with conservatively treated small abdominal aortic aneurysms. Blood samples were taken to measure low-density lipoprotein and IgA and IgG titres of antibodies against C. pneumoniae by a microimmunofluorescence test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the prevalences of seropositivity varied from 43 to 83% depending on the definition. The ankle-brachial blood pressure index of the IgA-seropositive [corrected] men decreases by 11%, while it decreased by 4.8% among IgA-seronegative men (p<0.05). The significant difference persisted in a multiple-regression analysis adjusting for age, smoking, initial systolic ankle BP, and initial brachial systolic or diastolic BP, but disappeared after adjusting for the level of low-density lipoprotein.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  C. pneumoniae infection is associated with the progression of atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Viborg Sygehus, Viborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lindholt
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vammen
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fasting
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Henneberg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000276:immunology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G