[Rupture of the atherosclerotic plaque: is Chlamydia pneumoniae a possible agent?].
BACKGROUND
The natural history of atherosclerosis has not clearly been elucidated yet. Some works reported that flogosis plays a role in plaque instability. Why does this inflammatory process start? We investigated the correlation between Chlamydia pneumoniae acute infection and plaque rupture.


METHODS
We compared blood concentrations of IgM anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae in patients affected by acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and in patients affected by stable angina.


RESULTS
Our results showed a minimal statistical difference, with a more positive value in patients with AMI. Subsequently, the group affected by AMI was divided into two subgroups with and without plaque rupture: the subgroup with plaque rupture showed a higher blood concentration of Chlamydia antibodies. This subgroup was also divided into two other subgroups according to blood white cell concentration: the subgroup with normal concentration of white blood cells showed the highest value of Chlamydia antibodies.


CONCLUSIONS
Chlamydia pneumoniae could play an important role in atherosclerotic plaque instability
Fazio
Giovanni
G
Divisione di Cardiologia, Università degli Studi, Palermo. Giovanni.fazio-aaaa@poste.it
Sutera
Loredana
L
Zito
Rosanna
R
Cascio
Caterina
C
Briguglia
Daniele
D
Taormina
Susanna
S
Giammanco
Anna
A
Assennato
Pasquale
P
Novo
Salvatore
S
D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous / Q000382:microbiology
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D015415:Biomarkers; D007075:Immunoglobulin M