Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
2004-10-5
pubmed:abstractText
Chlamydia pneumoniae has recently been associated with the development of coronary heart diseases by sero-epidemiological studies and by direct detection of the organism in atherosclerotic tissues. The aim of our study was to employ a semi-nested PCR approach to investigate the presence of C. pneumoniae in both normal and atherosclerotic coronary arteries of humans obtained at autopsy. Moreover, we have evaluated the role of infection with C. pneumoniae in relation to the extent of coronary atherosclerosis. One hundred and eighty coronary artery specimens were collected at autopsy from 60 consecutive subjects (three arterial segments from each subject). Atherosclerosis in each arterial segment was graded histologically by the Stary classification. Thirty normal coronary arteries were also taken at autopsy as control. PCR results evidenced the presence of C. pneumoniae DNA in atherosclerotic coronary arteries in 19 (31.7%) of 60 subjects examined, while none of the 30 subjects with non-atherosclerotic tissues was positive (p=0.001). Moreover, of the 180 atherosclerotic specimens examined, C. pneumoniae DNA was detected in 3.4% (2/59) of mild atherosclerotic lesions, and in 14.0% (17/121) of advanced atherosclerotic lesions (p=0.05). Our results demonstrate that the presence of C. pneumoniae DNA may be associated with the severity of coronary atherosclerosis.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
0394-6320
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
17
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
301-6
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:articleTitle
Detection of Chlamydia pneumoniae in atherosclerotic coronary arteries.
pubmed:affiliation
Dipartimento di Scienze di Sanità Pubblica, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. rosa.sessa@uniroma1.it
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't