Effect on carotid atherosclerosis of probucol plus levofloxacin for Chlamydia pneumoniae infection.
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.
Sawayama
Yasunori
Y
Department of General Medicine, Kyushu University Hospital, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
Tatsukawa
Masafumi
M
Kikuchi
Kensuke
K
Maeda
Shinji
S
Ohnishi
Hachiro
H
Furusyo
Norihiro
N
Hayashi
Jun
J
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
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D064704:Levofloxacin; D015242:Ofloxacin; D011341:Probucol