Evaluation of Chlamydia Antibody Using Micro-immunofluorescence in Acute Myocardiac Infarction / 대한진단검사의학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia pneumoniae can cause chronic inflammation in the arterial wall. C. pneumoniae infection has been investigated as a new risk factor for acute myocardiac infarction (AMI), afatal outcome of coronary artery occlusion. METHODS: IgG and IgM for C. pneumoniae using micro-immunofluorescence were evaluated in 80 AMI patients and 46 controls without coronary arterial disease. RESULTS: Chronic infection, defined by equal or higher than 1 32 titers of IgG of C. pneumoniae, was observed in 51.3% (41/80) in AMI and 17.4% (8/46) in controls (P<0.05). None of the subjects showed acute infection, defined by equal or higher than either 1 16 of IgM or 1 512 of IgG of C. pneumoniae. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic C. pneumoniae infection was significantly more common in AMI patients compared to the controls.