title: The detection of Chlamydia pneumoniae in aneurysm of abdominal aorta and in normal aortic wall of organ donors.
abstract: Sixty patients underwent surgery due to abdominal aortic aneurysms; the group included 30 patients with asymptomatic aneurysm and 30 with ruptured aneurysm. A control group comprised 30 organ donors. Surgical specimens derived from aneurysm or aorta fragments were investigated for Chlamydia pneumoniae DNA using PCR. In asymptomatic aneurysms, DNA was found in 9 cases (29%), and in ruptured aneurysms in 14 cases (49%). In the control group, C. pneumoniae DNA was not detected in an aortic wall. These results suggest that healthy aortic wall is not susceptible to chlamydial infection. A large number of aneurysm infections implies C. pneumoniae role in proteolysis and degradation of the aneurysm wall. The biological effect of this process may cause an enlargement of the aneurysm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular, General and Transplantation Surgery, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland. apupka@chirn.am.wroc.pl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pupka
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skóra
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kałuza
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Szyber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000382:microbiology*; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial