title: [The correlation between Chlamydiae pneumonia and carotid atherosclerosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the correlation between Chlamydiae pneumonia and carotid atherosclerosis, and the correlation between the infection of Chlamydiae pneumonia and ischemic events.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group consisted of 19 patients who underwent unilateral carotid endarterectomy surgery during the period from January 2010 to December 2011, and the atherosclerotic plaque specimens were harvested from these patients. The control group consisted of 10 patients who underwent extracranial-intracranial bypass surgery during the same period, and the normal external carotid artery specimens were got from these patients. The clinical data between the two groups had comparability. The presence of Chlamydiae pneumonia in atherosclerotic plaque and normal artery tissue were investigated by immunohistochemistry. The expression of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in the atherosclerotic plaque infected with Chlamydiae pneumonia were also detected. Data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chlamydiae pneumonia was found in 9 of 19 atherosclerotic plaques, while no positive result was found in control group. The statistical analysis showed a significant difference (P = 0.011). Among the 19 patients in study group, 15 of them had ischemic events, and Chlamydiae pneumonia was found in 9 of these 15 patients; while the other 4 patients didn't have any ischemic events and no Chlamydiae pneumonia was found in them, but there was no statistical different between them (P = 0.087). Through immunohistochemistry, the expression of Chlamydiae pneumonia, TLR2, TNF-α and VCAM-1 were found in same area.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a correlation between Chlamydiae pneumonia and carotid atherosclerosis.And there might be a correlation between Chlamydiae pneumonia and cerebral ischemic events.
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Fuxing Hospital, the Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China.
authors: Zhi-wei
authors: ZW
authors: Tang
authors: Xiang-en
authors: XE
authors: Shi
authors: Yong-kai
authors: YK
authors: Chang
authors: Zhen
authors: Z
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D023521:Chlamydophila Infections / Q000150:complications*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000382:microbiology; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C495342:TLR2 protein, human; C439524:TNF protein, human; D051195:Toll-Like Receptor 2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1