Detection of Chlamydophila pneumoniae (Chlamydia pneumoniae) in endarteroctomy specimens of coronary heart diseases patients.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Association of Chlamydia pneumoniae with atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease is debated. Increased antibody levels against C. pneumoniae in patients with coronary artery disease is widely reported. Direct evidence would be demonstration of C. pneumoniae, its antigen or genome in the diseased arterial tissue. This study was thus conducted to look for antigen or genome of C. pneumoniae in coronary artery specimens from patients with coronary artery disease along with serology. METHODS: Sixty two end arteriotomy specimens of discarded coronary arteries from patients of coronary heart disease were tested for presence of C.pnuemoniae genome using 2 nested PCR assays and antigen detection by immuno-fluorescence assay. Presence of species specific antibodies were also tested in the patients. RESULTS: C. pneumoniae could not be detected by PCR or immunofluorescence assay in any specimen. C. pnuemoniae Ig G antibody was detected in 42 of the 62 (67.7%) patients studied, compared to 10 of the 23 (43.47%) of controls. Moreover 18 of 62 (29%) patients compared to 4 of 23 (17.39%) controls possessed IgA antibodies. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Association of C.pneumoniae and coronary artery disease would not be established by genome or antigen detection. However, C. pneumoniae antibodies were detected in more number of patients than controls. More studies are required to reach to a conclusion.