Detection of cytomegalovirus, Helicobacter pylori and Chlamydia pneumoniae DNA in carotid atherosclerotic plaques by the polymerase chain reaction.
OBJECTIVE
Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) have been associated with human atherosclerosis. The reported rates of detection within atherosclerotic lesions by PCR vary widely for all of these pathogens. We investigated their presence in carotid atherosclerotic plaques.


RESULTS
Eighty-three carotid atherosclerotic specimens were available for examination. The highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction method was employed with primers specific for each agent. The presence of CMV DNA was not detected in any of the examined samples (0%), whereas the presence of H. pylori DNA was observed in two out of eighty-three cases (2.4%). C. pneumoniae DNA was found in eighteen (21.6%) of the plaques studied.


CONCLUSIONS
H. pylori DNA was detected in a very small subset of atherosclerotic plaques, whereas CMV DNA was not detected in any of the plaques studied. C. pneumoniae DNA was found in a significant number of our atherosclerotic plaques. Further studies are needed to clarify the possible causal relation between infection by these organisms and atherosclerosis.
Latsios
George
G
Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. glatsios@med.uoa.gr
Saetta
Angelica
A
Michalopoulos
Nikolaos V
NV
Agapitos
Emmanuil
E
Patsouris
Efstratios
E
D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000737:chemistry*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis*; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004279:DNA, Viral