Prevalence of Chlamydia pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in different forms of coronary disease.
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.
Maia
Irineu Luiz
IL
Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto, São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brasil. maia@famerp.com.br
Nicolau
José Carlos
JC
Machado
Maurício de Nassau
MN
Maia
Lília Nigro
LN
Takakura
Isabela Thomaz
IT
Rocha
Paulo Ricardo de Fernando
PR
Cordeiro
José Antônio
JA
Ramires
José Antônio Franchini
JA
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*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial