title: The relationship between seropositivity against Chlamydia pneumoniae and stroke and its subtypes in a Latvian population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Serological evidence of infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae has been associated with cardiovascular diseases, but the relationship with stroke and its risk factors remains not completely understood. The aim of this study was to determine whether serological evidence of infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae was associated with the risk of ischemic stroke and any of investigated stroke subtypes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Confirmed stroke cases (n=102) were compared with gender- and age-matched control patients (n=48). The patients with stroke were divided into 3 groups according to the TOAST criteria: atherothrombotic (n=36), cardioembolic (n=47), and of undetermined etiology (n=19). Plasma levels of IgG antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant association between seropositivity to Chlamydia pneumoniae and stroke. Anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae IgG antibodies were detected in 64 case patients (62.7%) and 17 control patients (35.4%) (χ(2)=9.8; df=1; P=0.002). IgG seropositivity to Chlamydia pneumoniae was linked to all the analyzed etiological subtypes of stroke.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that IgG seropositivity to Chlamydia pneumoniae was associated with stroke and all the analyzed etiological subtypes of stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia. vikakenina@inbox.lv
authors.forename: Viktorija
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kēniņa
authors.forename: Pauls
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Auce
authors.forename: Andrejs
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Millers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008097:Lithuania / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007074:Immunoglobulin G