title: Lack of association between serological evidence of past Coxiella burnetii infection and incident ischaemic heart disease: nested case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coxiella burnetii causes the common worldwide zoonotic infection, Q fever. It has been previously suggested that patients who had recovered from acute Q fever (whether symptomatic or otherwise) may be at increased risk of ischaemic heart disease. We undertook this study to determine if past infection with Coxiella burnetii, the aetiological agent of Q fever, is a risk factor for the subsequent development of ischaemic heart disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nested case-control study within the Prospective Epidemiological Study of Myocardial Infarction (PRIME). The PRIME study is a cohort study of 10,593 middle-aged men undertaken in France and Northern Ireland in the 1990s. A total of 335 incident cases of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) were identified and each case was matched to 2 IHD free controls. Q fever seropositivity was determined using a commercial IgG ELISA method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seroprevalence of Q fever in the controls from Northern Ireland and France were 7.8% and 9.0% respectively. No association was seen between seropositivity and age, smoking, lipid levels, or inflammatory markers. The unadjusted odds ratio (95% CI) for Q fever seropositivity in cases compared to controls was 0.95 (0.59, 1.57). The relationship was substantially unaltered following adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and potential confounders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serological evidence of past infection with C. burnetii was not found to be associated with an increased risk of IHD.
authors: Regional Virus Laboratory, Royal Hospitals, Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BA, UK. conall.mccaughey@bll.n-i.nhs.uk
authors: Conall
authors: C
authors: McCaughey
authors: Liam J
authors: LJ
authors: Murray
authors: James P
authors: JP
authors: McKenna
authors: Peter V
authors: PV
authors: Coyle
authors: Hugh J
authors: HJ
authors: O'Neill
authors: Dorothy E
authors: DE
authors: Wyatt
authors: Jayne V
authors: JV
authors: Woodside
authors: John W G
authors: JW
authors: Yarnell
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Ducimetiere
authors: Annie
authors: A
authors: Bingham
authors: Philippe
authors: P
authors: Amouyel
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: Montaye
authors: Dominique
authors: D
authors: Arveiler
authors: Bernadette
authors: B
authors: Haas
authors: Jean
authors: J
authors: Ferrieres
authors: Jean-Bernard
authors: JB
authors: Ruidavets
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology*; D009660:Northern Ireland; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011778:Q Fever / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial