title: Fungal rDNA signatures in coronary atherosclerotic plaques.
abstract: Bacterial DNA has been found in coronary plaques and it has therefore been concluded that bacteria may play a role as trigger factors in the chronic inflammatory process underlying coronary atherosclerosis. However, the microbial spectrum is complex and it is not known whether microorganisms other than bacteria are involved in coronary disease. Fungal 18S rDNA signatures were systematically investigated in atherosclerotic tissue obtained through catheter-based atherectomy of 38 patients and controls (unaffected coronary arteries) using clone libraries, denaturating gradient gel analysis (DGGE), in situ hybridization and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Fungal DNA was found in 35 of 38 (92.11%) coronary heart disease patients by either polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with universal primers or in situ hybridization analysis (n = 5), but not in any control sample. In a clone library with more than 350 sequenced clones from pooled patient DNA, an overall richness of 19 different fungal phylotypes could be observed. Fungal profiles of coronary heart disease patients obtained by DGGE analysis showed a median richness of fungal species of 5 (range from 2 to 9) with a high interindividual variability (mean similarity 18.83%). For the first time, the presence of fungal components in atherosclerotic plaques has been demonstrated. Coronary atheromatous plaques harbour diverse and variable fungal communities suggesting a polymicrobial contribution to the chronic inflammatory aetiology.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrechts University Kiel (CAU), Schittenhelmstr. 12, 24105 Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ott
authors.forename: Nour Eddine
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: El Mokhtari
authors.forename: Ateequr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rehman
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rosenstiel
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hellmig
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kühbacher
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lins
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schreiber
mesh_terms: D017073:Atherectomy; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000382:microbiology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000382:microbiology; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis*; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel / Q000379:methods; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015723:Gene Library; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D009181:Mycoses / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S