Detection of C. pneumoniae by polymerase chain reaction-enzyme immunoassay in abdominal aortic aneurysm walls and its association with rupture.

OBJECTIVE: Serological studies have suggested that one of the risk factors for aneurysm development is C. pneumoniae infection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether there is an association between the presence of C. pneumoniae DNA in aneurysms and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms. METHODS: Aortic walls were collected consecutively from 30 patients with intact AAA, 16 patients with ruptured AAA and 19 healthy organ donors (control). Purified DNAs from all aortas were analyzed for the presence of C. pneumoniae DNA in parallel by polymerase chain reaction-enzyme immunoassay (PCR-EIA) and agarose gel electrophoresis. PCR-EIA has a high sensitivity in detecting low DNA copy number in clinical atherosclerotic samples. RESULTS: C. pneumoniae DNA was detected more frequently in patients with aneurysms, particular with ruptured aneurysms. The incidence of positive C. pneumoniae DNA was 73.3% in intact AAA and 10.5% in control aortas, with the highest frequency in ruptured AAA (100%) (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Giving the high specificity and sensitivity of PCR-EIA, these findings support the association of C. pneumoniae in the pathogenesis of aneurysm development, growth and rupture.