title: Influenza A and B IgG seropositivity and coronary atherosclerosis assessed by angiography.
abstract: Infectious agents, in particular intracellular pathogens that can establish long-term, persistent seropositivity, may play an important role in atherogenesis. The possible association between influenza type A and B infection and angiographically proven coronary artery disease (CAD) and the effect of the aggregate pathogen burden on CAD was studied by testing blood from 218 patients undergoing coronary angiography for serum IgG antibodies to influenza A and B, and for antibodies to four other pathogens (hepatitis A, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, and cytomegalovirus). This analysis demonstrates that although influenza (A and B) seropositivity represents no predictor of risk for CAD, infectious burden is independently associated with coronary atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Second Medical Department, Division of Cardiology and Intensive Care, General Hospital Wels, A-4600 Wels, Austria. johann.auer@khwels.at
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Auer
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leitinger
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berent
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Prammer
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lassnig
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eber
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology*; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G