Early atherosclerotic plaques show evidence of infection by Chlamydia pneumoniae.
Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) could play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. Cpn interferes with HIF-1alpha regulation in infected host cells during intracellular replication in hypoxia. We obtained carotid artery specimens with low (n=38), high (n=25) levels of stenosis and 10 middle cerebral arteries. Fifty eight percent of the carotids with low levels of stenosis showed evidence of the viable organism. Ninety one percent of the positive results were derived from pre-atheromatous lesions. Only 12 percent of plaques removed at endarterectomy showed the presence of Cpn DNA. All middle cerebral arteries failed to show evidence of live Chlamydia. Ninety one percent of sera from 22 endarterectomy patients failed to show the presence of Cpn antibodies. Immunohistology of carotid arteries with low levels of stenosis was used to confirm the presence of HIF-1alpha in infected specimens and showed a correlation between the over-expression of HIF-1alpha and Cpn in the plaque (p less than 0.05). Cpn might play an important role in activation and development of the initial stages of atherosclerotic lesions.
Hospital Universitari Mutua Terrassa, Department of Neurology, Cerebrovascular Diseases Unit, Barcelona, Spain.
Ana
A
Luque
Marta M
MM
Turu
Norma
N
Rovira
Josep Oriol
JO
Juan-Babot
Mark
M
Slevin
Jerzy
J
Krupinski
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020768:Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D017931:DNA Primers