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ABSTRACT
The present stud y has been designed to determine the existence of Chlamydia pneumonia (C. pneumonia) within the atherosclerotic plaques in a prospectively studied consecutive series of patients requiring coronary or carotid revascularization and to compare the incidence of C. pneumonia infection in diabetic patients with that of nondiabetic patients. In order to obtain atherosclerotic plaque specimens, a consecutive cohort of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft operation or carotid artery endarterectomy were enrolled for the study. A total of 30 atheroma plaque specimens (from 15 type 2 diabetic patients; 15 nondiabetic patients) were able to be obtained for the Chlamydial DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Age, cigarette smoking, lipid profile including lipoprotein (a), C. pneumonia seropositivity, duration of diabetes, glycemic indices, serum fibrinogen levels and presence of hypertension were assessed as determinants of atherosclerotic risk factors. The incidence of Chlamydial seropositivity of the diabetic patients (3/15) and that of the nondiabetic patients (4/15) were similar. C. pneumonia PCR revealed an absence of bacterial DNA in the atheroma plaques of the patients in both the diabetic and the nondiabetic subpopulations. C. pneumonial DNA is absent in the atheromatous plaques of the diabetic and nondiabetic patients. Diabetic patients with atherosclerosis do not have an increased incidence of Chlamydial infections.
The present stud y has been designed to determine the existence of Chlamydia pneumonia (C. pneumonia) within the atherosclerotic plaques in a prospectively studied consecutive series of patients requiring coronary or carotid revascularization and to compare the incidence of C. pneumonia infection in diabetic patients with that of nondiabetic patients. In order to obtain atherosclerotic plaque specimens, a consecutive cohort of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft operation or carotid artery endarterectomy were enrolled for the study. A total of 30 atheroma plaque specimens (from 15 type 2 diabetic patients; 15 nondiabetic patients) were able to be obtained for the Chlamydial DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Age, cigarette smoking, lipid profile including lipoprotein (a), C. pneumonia seropositivity, duration of diabetes, glycemic indices, serum fibrinogen levels and presence of hypertension were assessed as determinants of atherosclerotic risk factors. The incidence of Chlamydial seropositivity of the diabetic patients (3/15) and that of the nondiabetic patients (4/15) were similar. C. pneumonia PCR revealed an absence of bacterial DNA in the atheroma plaques of the patients in both the diabetic and the nondiabetic subpopulations. C. pneumonial DNA is absent in the atheromatous plaques of the diabetic and nondiabetic patients. Diabetic patients with atherosclerosis do not have an increased incidence of Chlamydial infections.