title: Effect on carotid atherosclerosis of probucol plus levofloxacin for Chlamydia pneumoniae infection.
abstract: To investigate the effect of levofloxacin on carotid atherosclerosis, patients with hypercholesterolemia whose carotid atherosclerosis was not improved by probucol therapy (500 mg/day) for 24 months were enrolled. All patients were seropositive for anti C. pneumoniae IgA and/or IgG. Carotid atherosclerosis was evaluated by ultrasonic measurement of the maximum intima-media thickness (Max-IMT). All subjects were prescribed three courses of levofloxacin (each course, 400 mg/day for 2 weeks, followed by 14 days off drug treatment). At 12 months after combined therapy with probucol and levofloxacin, Max-IMT was significantly decreased compared with the value before treatment (P < 0.01). These results suggest that the combination therapy was effective for improving carotid atherosclerosis in C. pneumoniae-seropositive patients.
authors: Department of General Medicine, Kyushu University Hospital, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
authors: Yasunori
authors: Y
authors: Sawayama
authors: Masafumi
authors: M
authors: Tatsukawa
authors: Kensuke
authors: K
authors: Kikuchi
authors: Shinji
authors: S
authors: Maeda
authors: Hachiro
authors: H
authors: Ohnishi
authors: Norihiro
authors: N
authors: Furusyo
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Hayashi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000187:drug effects; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D064704:Levofloxacin; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011341:Probucol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D064704:Levofloxacin; D015242:Ofloxacin; D011341:Probucol