title: The prevalence of Chlamydia pneumoniae in the aortic wall and in peripheral blood of patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass grafting.
abstract: Some reports confirm a potential role of Chlamydia pneumoniae (ChP) in atherogenesis. In order to explore possible association between ChP and atherosclerosis, investigations were carried out in which the frequency of ChP in the arterial wall and peripheral blood was assessed in a group of patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD). Fifty-seven patients were enrolled in the study, 13 women and 44 men aged 61.8±6.5 (47-74), with previously diagnosed CAD, scheduled for planned coronary artery bypass grafting due to clinical indications. Vessel specimens retrieved from the ascending aorta (as a part of routine proximal venous graft development procedure) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from venous blood were evaluated for the presence of ChP DNA. Genomic DNA was extracted from PBMCs and vessel specimens. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed to detect ChP DNA. A statistically more frequent occurrence of ChP was observed in aortic tissues compared to blood samples (70.2% vs 56.1%, respectively). Similarly, the number of ChP DNA genomic copies [n/1μg genomic DNA] was significantly higher in tissue specimens compared to blood samples (89±91 vs 41±77, respectively; p=0.0046). In patients without ChP in blood specimens, we observed significantly higher amounts of ChP in tissue specimens compared to patients with ChP in blood specimens (156±71 vs 107±88, respectively; p=0.0453). No correlation was found between the number of ChP DNA copies [n/1μg genomic DNA] in blood and in aortic specimens. The infection of ChP in the aortic wall was connected with hypercholesterolemia (p=0.029) and diabetes (p=0.03). We conclude that Chlamydia pneumoniae is a pathogen frequently occurring in the aortic wall of patients with CAD. The occurrence of ChP DNA in the aortic tissue is related to classic CAD risk factors such as diabetes and dyslipidemia.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Cardiology, Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuczaj
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, City Hospital, Chrzanow, Poland.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Stryjewski
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Cardiology, Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fudal
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Domal-Kwiatkowska
authors.affiliation: Clinical Ward of Cardiac Surgery, Silesian Center for Heart Diseases, Zabrze, Poland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ryfiński
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sliupkas-Dyrda
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smolik
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Węglarz
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mazurek
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Cardiology, Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nowalany-Kozielska
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000382:microbiology*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial