title: Prevalence of Chlamydia pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in different forms of coronary disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several infectious agents have been investigated since the association between atherosclerosis and infection was demonstrated; however, the results of these studies are contradictory.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test the association between serum titers of anti-Chlamydia and anti-Mycoplasma antibodies in different forms of acute coronary syndromes (ACS).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty-six patients were divided in 4 groups: ACS with ST-segment elevation (32 patients), ACS without ST-segment elevation (30 patients), chronic coronary artery disease (30 patients) and blood donors without known coronary disease (34 patients--control group). In the two first groups, serum samples were collected at hospital admission (first 24 hours of hospitalization) and after a 6-month follow-up. In the other two groups, only a basal sample was collected. Anti-Chlamydia and anti-Mycoplasma antibodies were measured by indirect immunofluorescence in all samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences were observed between the basal sample and the one measured after a 6-month follow-up in patients with myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation for Chlamydia (650+/-115.7 versus 307+/-47.5, p=0.0001) as well as Mycoplasma (36.5+/-5.0 versus 21.5+/-3.5, p=0.0004). The groups with ACS had higher anti-Chlamydia and anti-Mycoplasma serum antibody levels in the basal measurement, when compared to the patients with chronic coronary disease and the control group, but the differences were not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study showed an association between the serum titers of anti-Chlamydia and anti-Mycoplasma antibodies in the acute phase of patients with unstable angina or myocardial infarction.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto, São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brasil. maia@famerp.com.br
authors.forename: Irineu Luiz
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.forename: José Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Nicolau
authors.forename: Maurício de Nassau
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Lília Nigro
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.forename: Isabela Thomaz
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Takakura
authors.forename: Paulo Ricardo de Fernando
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: José Antônio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.forename: José Antônio Franchini
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ramires
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000382:microbiology*; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009177:Mycoplasma pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial