Permanent atrial fibrillation in patients without structural heart disease is not associated with signs of infection by Chlamydia pneumoniae and Helicobacter pylori.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to explore the role of Chlamydia pneumoniae and Helicobacter pylori infections in patients with idiopathic permanent atrial fibrillation.


RESULTS
Sera from 72 patients with permanent atrial fibrillation without structural heart disease (mean age 69.6 years, 23 women) were analysed for IgG antibodies against Chlamydia pneumoniae and Helicobacter pylori and compared in a I:I age- and sex-matched case:control manner with those pooled from a healthy reference population of 72 individuals from the same geographical area. After excluding patients with other possible or definite factors known either to cause atrial fibrillation or to affect the prevalence of seropositivity to these agents, the frequency of seropositivity due to one or both of the infectious agents was compared. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level was assessed using immunoturbidimetry technique. Both agents were equally common in men and women. Neither seropositivity to Chlamydia pneumoniae (76% vs. 83%, patients vs. control subjects, ns) nor to Helicobacter pylori (57% contra 55%, patients vs. controls, ns) alone reached significance in the comparisons between patients with atrial fibrillation and control subjects. Serum CRP was higher in patients with AF (5.3 mg/L vs. 2.8 mg/L, P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Though presence of permanent AF is associated with elevated CRP levels, this elevation is not the result of earlier infections with Chlamydia pneumoniae or Helicobacter pylori or their combination.
Platonov
Pyotr
P
Department of Cardiology, Laboratory Medicine, Division Medical Microbiology, Lund University, Sweden.
Ekesbo
Rickard
R
Hansson
Anders
A
Andsberg
Eva
E
Meurling
Carl J
CJ
Nilsson
Ingrid
I
Ljungh
Asa
A
Wadström
Torkel
T
Olsson
S Bertil
SB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D002097:C-Reactive Protein