The Study of Chlamydia Pneumoniae DNA in the Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell of Coronary Heart Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in developed countries. The cause is multifactori- al. A substantial proportion of patients with coronary artery disease do not have traditional risk factors. Therefore, scientific attention has recently focused on investigating hypothetical additional risk factors and on achieving a deeper understanding of the development of atherosclerosis . Infectious diseases may play a role in these cases , or they may intensity the effect of other risk…

The Study of Chlamydia Pneumoniae DNA in the Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell of Coronary Heart Disease

Objectives To detection of chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) DNA in the circulating mononuclear cell fractions of coronary heart disease and to investigate the association between infection with chlamydia pneumoniae and coronary heart disease (CHD) and prospectively whether blood -based nested polymerase chain reaction ( nPCR ) is useful in identifying Cpn infection. Methods The peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) Cpn DNA was examined using nPCR technique and confirmed by electrophoresis in 150 patients with CHD. Select 55 patients with clinical suspected CHD but angiography result are normal as control group (CG). Then we conducted a prospective , randomized, double - blind, placebo -controlled study of 6 months of azithromycin and placebo treatment in CHD group. Patients with Cpn DNA positive were then randomized to receive azithromycin or placebo. After treatment blood sample were collected for repeated measurement . Results Chlamydia pneumoniae DNA was detected in 49(32.7% ) of 150persons with CHD and in 1 ( 1.8% ) of 55 persons with control group,odds ratio 26.2, 95% confidence interva13.52 - 194.98. The positivity rates of nPCR in CHD groups were higher than those in control group. 16 cases (29. 1% ) in latent coronary heart diseases(LCHD) group , 19 cases (39.6%) in unstable angina(UAP) group ,and 14 cases (29.9%) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI)group were Cpn positive by nPCR. There were no significant difference among in AMIUAP and LCHD group. There were significiant difference in Cpn DNA negative rates after the azithromycin and the placebo treatment. Conclusions Chlamydia pneumoniae is present in PBMC of a significant proportion of persons with CHD. The potential role of chlamydia pneumoniae in coronary atherosclerosis may therefore be more related to acceleration of disease or systemic effects by persistent infection than to sudden initiation of progressive coronary artery disease by acute infection. The detection of Cpn DNA in PBMC with nPCR may be of great value for identifying Cpn carriers and for monitoring antichlamydial therapy.