ABSTRACT
Chlamydia Pneumoniae [CP] is a common pathogen that has been linked to coronary artery disease. Also, CP antigen has been demonstrated in valve biopsy specimens from patients with acquired aortic valve stenosis and in patients with culture negative endocarditis. The aim of this paper is to study the presence of CP in both aortic and mitral valves by using polymerase chain reaction [PCR] and its relation to the pathology of the valve. 27 patients [16 males] who underwent aortic and mitral valve replacement were studied. Key demographic and clinical data were collected including age , gender , past history of rheumatic fever . NYHA class, preoperative 12 leads ECG. Chest X-ray and Echocardiography. One portion of the valve leaflet was sent for pathologic examination to detect the nature of valve disease e.g. rheumatic or non-rheumatic and the other portion was sent for PCR study. The age ranged from 19 to 55 years with mean valve 36.48 +/- 11.46. 5 patients had isolated aortic valve stenosis , 12 had mitral valve disease and 10 had double valve disease . Aschotf body and cells were seem in 11 patients and 5 patients had non-rheumatic degenerative aortic stenosis . 7 out of 27 cases [25.9%] were PCR positive. 5 of them were isolated non-rheumatic aortic stenosis and represent [33. %] of aortic cases. The remaining 2 PCR positive cases were rheumatic mitral valve disease one of them was severe isolated mitral regurgitation due to native valve endocardifis . CP infection was common with nonrheumatic aortic valves [P=0.045] and also with stenotic lesions than regurgitant ones [P=0.045]. Culture negative endocarditis maybe due to CP infection and also CP maybe present in rheumatic mitral valve most probably as passengers