title: [Role of Chlamydia pneumoniae in the etiology of atherosclerosis].
abstract: The review of literature on the role of C. pneumoniae in the etiology of atherosclerosis is presented. The patients with coronary disease show a greater detection rate and higher titers of antibodies to C. pneumoniae. The causative agent can be detected in atheromas in of immunocytochemical studies and by means of electron microscopy, as well as in the polymerase chain reaction. In addition, live C. pneumoniae can be isolated from atheromas. The process of atherogenesis is modeled by infecting susceptible animals with chlamydiae. C. pneumoniae induce the formation of foam cells in the culture of human macrophages due tho the surplus absorption of cholesterol by macrophages from low-density lipoproteins. Chlamydial lipopolysaccharide is capable of inducing the formation of foam cells. The conclusion has been made that C. pneumoniae is one of the possible etiological agents of atherosclerosis. The possible role of the endotoxins of bacteria of the intestinal microflora, regularly supplied to the blood stream in the presence of sharply decreased immunity to endotoxins, in the etiology of atherosclerosis is also supposed.
authors.affiliation: Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: V G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Likhoded
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Martynova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012698:Serologic Tests
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial
vernacular_title: Rol' Chlamydia pneumoniae v étiologii ateroskleroza.