title: Chlamydia pneumoniae Clinical Isolate from Gingival Crevicular Fluid: A Potential Atherogenic Strain.
abstract: Chlamydia pneumoniae has been associated to atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. The aim of our study was to characterize, for the first time, a C. pneumoniae strain isolated from the gingival crevicular fluid of a patient with chronic periodontitis, described as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. C. pneumoniae isolate was characterized and compared to the respiratory AR-39 strain by VD4-ompA genotyping and by investigating the intracellular growth in epithelial and macrophage cell lines and its ability to induce macrophage-derived foam cells. Inflammatory cytokine levels were determined in the gingival crevicular fluid sample. C. pneumoniae isolate showed a 99% similarity with the AR-39 strain in the VD4-ompA gene sequence and shared a comparable growth kinetic in epithelial cells and macrophages, as evidenced by the infectious progeny and by the number of chlamydial genomic copies. C. pneumoniae isolate significantly increased the number of foam cells as compared to uninfected and LDL-treated macrophages (45 vs. 6%, P = 0.0065) and to the AR-39 strain (45 vs. 30%, P = 0.0065). Significantly increased levels of interleukin 1-β (2.1 ± 0.3 pg/μL) and interleukin 6 (0.6 ± 0.08 pg/μL) were found. Our results suggest that C. pneumoniae may harbor inside oral cavity and potentially be atherogenic, even though further studies will be needed to clarify the involvement of C. pneumoniae in chronic periodontitis as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, "Sapienza" University Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Filardo
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, "Sapienza" University Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Pietro
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, "Sapienza" University Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schiavoni
authors.affiliation: General Dentistry and Emergency Care Unit, George Eastman Dental Hospital Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Minniti
authors.affiliation: General Dentistry and Emergency Care Unit, George Eastman Dental Hospital Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ortolani
authors.affiliation: Department of Life, Health & Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, "Sapienza" University Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sessa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology*; D055113:Chronic Periodontitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000032:analysis; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D005838:Genotype; D005883:Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004269:DNA, Bacterial
keywords: Chlamydia pneumoniae; atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases; chronic periodontitis; gingival crevicular fluid; interleukin-1β; interleukin-6