[Association between cardiovascular disease and anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between cardiovascular disease (CVD) and antibodies against Chlamydia in Mexican population.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted from August 1988 to April 2000, at the Immunology and Infectology Research Unit of Hospital de Infectología, Centro Médico Nacional La Raza (CMNR)--and at the Cardiovascular Surgery and Circulatory Care, Hospital General CMNR, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS). Study subjects were 70 CVD hospitalized patients, older than 30 years, from both genders. Serum IgG and IgM antibodies against C. psitaccii, C. trachomatis and C. pneumoniae were determined by microimmunofluorescence in study subjects and compared with those from 140 healthy individuals, matched by age and sex. Simple random sampling was used, for an expected prevalence of 50% and a 99% confidence level; the sample size was 110 subjects. The chi-squared test and odds ratios were used to compare proportions.


RESULTS
IgG antibodies against C. pneumoniae were found in 94.3% (66/70) patients, as compared to only 37% (52/140) of healthy individuals (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
An association between IgG antibodies against C. pneumoniae and CVD was found. This finding warrants further studies to evaluate the role of C. pneumoniae as a predictor of CVD. The English version of this paper is available at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html.
Unidad de Investigación Médica en Inmunología e Infectología, Hospital de Infectología, Dr Daniel Méndez Hernández, Centro Médico La Raza, IMSS, Avenida Jacarandas esquina Vallejo s/n colonia La Raza 02990 México, D.F., México. gdelrey@prodigy.net.mx
Guadalupe de los A
Gde L
García-Elorriaga
Moisés
M
Calderón-Abbo
César R
CR
González-Bonilla
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000097:blood*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000908:Antibodies, Fungal