title: Mycotic DNA in non-atherosclerotic aortic wall of coronary patients is associated with sICAM-1 expression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atherosclerosis is currently being investigated as a chronic inflammatory process and the role of infectious agents is unclear. The presence of mycotic DNA in the wall of the non-atherosclerotic aorta of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and its association with levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM)-1 expression was examined in the present study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 40 patients with CAD and a comparative group of 20 patients with aortic valve stenosis (AS) without CAD, specimens of the aortic wall were obtained during cardiac surgery. Mycotic DNA was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a fungus-specific universal primer pair, ITS3 and ITS4, to amplify a portion of the 5.8S rDNA region, the entire ITS2 region and a portion of the 28S rDNA region, and using a species-specific primer pair, CALB1 and CALB2, to specifically amplify Candida (C.) albicans. The nested PCR method was performed to amplify the intergenic transcribed spacer regions of the rRNAs of Candida species. Before surgery the serum level of sICAM-1 was estimated. Mycotic DNA was detected in 48% of the CAD patients and in 40% of the AS patients, with C. albicans DNA in 58% and 100%, respectively (P>0.05). In CAD patients with a high level of sICAM-1, C. albicans DNA was found more frequently than in patients without elevated levels of sICAM-1 (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mycotic DNA was found in the non-atherosclerotic aortic wall of CAD patients as well as in patients with AS. In the CAD patients C. albicans DNA was related to sICAM-1 expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland. bjegier@op.pl
authors.forename: Bogdan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jegier
authors.forename: Ryszard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jaszewski
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kurnatowski
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuba
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lelonek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001011:Aorta / Q000378:metabolism*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000382:microbiology; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000235:genetics*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000378:metabolism; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1