Chlamydia pneumoniae and Epstein-Barr antibodies are not associated with carotid thickness: the effect of hypertension.
BACKGROUND
To examine the relationship between Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) seropositivity and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in three selected groups: 1) hypertensives; 2) white coat hypertensives; and 3) normotensives. Epstein-Barr antibodies were also measured.


METHODS
The 340 participants underwent 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring, clinic BP measurements, ultrasound carotid measurements, and serologic analysis (microimmunofluorescence and ELISA).


RESULTS
Significant differences in IMT were found between the three groups, regarding both mean internal carotid artery (MICA) and mean common carotid artery (MCCA) (one-way ANOVA). In all three groups, no association was found between the carotid IMT and the C. pneumoniae or Epstein-Barr seropositivity.


CONCLUSIONS
When the effect of BP is isolated, there is no association between C. pneumoniae antibody levels and carotid IMT.
Pitiriga
Vassiliki C
VC
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Alexandra Hospital, Vas. Sofias and Lourou str. 11528, Athens, Greece.
Kotsis
Vasilios T
VT
Gennimata
Vassiliki
V
Alexandrou
Maria-Eleni K
ME
Papamichail
Christos M
CM
Mitsibounas
Dimitrios N
DN
Petrocheilou-Paschou
Vassiliky D
VD
Zakopoulos
Nikos A
NA
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000276:immunology; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D003971:Diastole / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013599:Systole / Q000276:immunology; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G