title: Detection of Fungal Elements in Atherosclerotic Plaques Using Mycological, Pathological and Molecular Methods.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to detect fungi in atherosclerotic plaques and investigate their possible role in atherosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Coronary atherosclerotic plaques specimen were obtained from patients with atherosclerosis. Direct examination, culture, histopathology study, PCR and sequencing were performed to detect/identify the mycotic elements in the plaques. Age, sex, smoking, obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, family history of heart diseases and diabetes were considered and data were analyzed using Chi Square test by SPSS version 15.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 41 specimens were analyzed. Direct examination for fungal elements was negative in all cases but in culture only one specimen grew as a mold colony. The presence of fungal elements were confirmed in 6 and 2 tissue sections stained by Gomori methenamine silver and Hematoxylin and Eosin methods, respectively. Using PCR, 11 cases were positive for fungi. The DNA sequence analysis of six positive specimens which were randomly selected revealed fungi as Candida albicans (n=3), Candida guilliermondii (n=2) and Monilia sp. (n=1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significant association between the presence of fungi in atherosclerotic plaques and severity of atherogenesis and atherosclerotic disease was not found. This could be due to limited numbers of patients included in our study. However, the presence of fungal elements in 26.8% of our specimens is considerable and the results does not exclude the correlation between the presence of fungi with atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Omid
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Masoumi
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Cardiovascular Surgery, Imam Khomeini Hospital, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shahzadi
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Parivash
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kordbacheh
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farideh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zaini
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahmoudi
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahmoudi
authors.affiliation: Mehr Diagnostic Medical Laboratory, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Hesamoddin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bahreini
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Safara
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mirhendi
keywords: Atherosclerosis; Candida; Coronary disease; Fungi