Chlamydia pneumoniae (TWAR) in Atherosclerosis of the Carotid Artery

• Published in: Circulation (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 92; no. 12; pp. 3397 - 3400
• Main Authors: Grayston, J. Thomas, Kuo, Cho-chou, Coulson, Alan S., Campbell, Lee Ann, Lawrence, Robert D., Lee, Ming Jong, Strandness, Eugene D., Wang, San-pin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 15.12.1995; American Heart Association, Inc
• Subjects: Aged; Antigens, Bacterial - analysis; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Cardiology. Vascular system; Carotid Arteries - microbiology; Carotid Artery Diseases - microbiology; Carotid Artery Diseases - surgery; Chlamydia Infections - diagnosis; Chlamydophila pneumoniae - isolation & purification; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; Endarterectomy, Carotid; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Intracranial Arteriosclerosis - microbiology; Intracranial Arteriosclerosis - surgery; Male; Medical sciences; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Human; Immunohistochemistry; Chlamydia pneumoniae; Chlamydiaceae; Cardiovascular disease; Exploration; Infection; Vascular disease; Polymerase chain reaction; Pathology; Carotid; Atherosclerosis; Chlamydiales; Bacteria
• ISSN: 0009-7322; 1524-4539
• DOI: 10.1161/01.CIR.92.12.3397

Background Chlamydia pneumoniae has been demonstrated in atherosclerotic lesions of coronary arteries and aorta. A seroepidemiological study found C pneumoniae –specific antibody more frequently in persons with significant carotid artery wall thickening than in matched control subjects. Methods and Results Fresh-frozen or formalin-fixed tissue obtained at carotid endarterectomy was examined by immunocytochemistry (ICC) and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the presence of C pneumoniae. Five of five fresh-frozen and formalin-fixed carotid endarterectomy specimens were positive for C pneumoniae by ICC (three of five by PCR). A total of 56 archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded carotid endarterectomy tissues from three hospitals were examined by ICC. Thirty-two were positive. Thirteen normal carotid artery tissue sections from six patients were negative for C pneumoniae . Conclusions C pneumoniae organisms are frequently found in the advanced carotid atherosclerotic lesions of persons undergoing endarterectomy. Although these findings do not establish causality for C pneumoniae in carotid artery atherosclerosis, they should stimulate investigation of a possible causal or pathogenic role for the organism in the disease.