title: Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in Slovenian patients with diffuse coronary artery disease.
abstract: Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) infection might be involved in the pathogenesis of various forms of coronary artery disease (CAD), but there are no data about diffuse CAD with clinical picture of stable angina pectoris. Authors in a prospective study determined serum CP antibody levels (with MIF test) of 71 patients with coronarographically proven diffuse CAD and compared them to the age matched control group of the healthy Slovenian population. After azithromycin treatment in patients with chronic CP infection or reinfection, the CP antibody levels were determined again. A high percentage of chronic infection with CP was demonstrated (83.1%), and almost half (46.5%) of patients with diffuse CAD had reinfection or reactivation of chronic infection. A significantly higher prevalence of chronic CP infection was found in patients with diffuse CAD than in the healthy population (83.1% vs. 15.9%, p< 0.0001). After treatment with azithromycin, IgA seronegativity was achieved in 17.3%, in 23.1% the titer was lowered, however, in 57.7% of patients no change of antibody titers was found. In conclusion, a high prevalence of chronic infection with CP was found in patients with diffuse CAD. With azithromycin therapy, the eradication of chronic infection is difficult to achieve as well as to prove.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Histology and Embryology, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia. MATEJA.LEGAN@MF.UNI-LJ.SI
authors.forename: Marjeta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zorc
authors.forename: Darja
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kese
authors.forename: Danijei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Petrovic
authors.forename: Mateja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Legan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017524:Slovenia
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial