Early impairment of coronary flow reserve is not associated with Chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies.
BACKGROUND
Chlamydia pneumoniae infection has been associated with atherosclerosis by sero-epidemiological, histopathological and interventional studies, and animal experiments. We hypothesized that if chlamydial infection is causative of atherosclerosis, the occurrence of antibodies against C. pneumoniae should be associated with coronary vasomotor dysfunction - an early sign of atherosclerosis.


OBJECTIVE
To study the association between C. pneumoniae infection and coronary vasomotor function in young men without signs of ischemic heart disease.


METHODS
Serum IgG and IgA antibody concentrations against C. pneumoniae were determined in 125 clinically healthy subjects undergoing positron emission tomography (PET) studies. Myocardial blood flow was measured at rest and during pharmacologically induced hyperemia using [15O]H2O Coronary flow reserve was calculated as the ratio of hyperemic blood flow to resting blood flow.


RESULTS
No association was found between serum C. pneumoniae antibody concentrations and myocardial blood flow parameters. In contrast, more conventional risk factors for coronary artery disease, such as total cholesterol and apolipoprotein B, were inversely associated with hyperemic flow and flow reserve.


CONCLUSIONS
We found no association between C. pneumoniae antibodies and coronary vasomotor function in subjects without ischemic heart disease. Thus, these results do not support the role of C. pneumoniae infection as an early phase risk factor for coronary artery disease.
Janatuinen
Tuula
T
Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Finland. tuula.janatuinen@pet.tyks.fi
Friberg
Johan
J
Viljanen
Matti K
MK
Raitakari
Olli T
OT
Nuutila
Pirjo
P
Vainionpää
Raija
R
Oksi
Jarmo
J
Peltonen
Reijo
R
Engblom
Erik
E
Laine
Hanna
H
Knuuti
Juhani
J
D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D015415:Biomarkers; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G