Abstract

Chronic infection may promote arterial inflammation, thereby contributing to the initiation or progression of atherosclerosis. Chlamydophila pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular human respiratory pathogen. It has been suggested that coronary atherosclerosis may be an autoimmune process triggered by an infectious agent, most likely C. pneumoniae. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of coronary artery bypass surgery on C. pneumoniae IgG detection in blood samples taken from coronary sinus. Forty-two patients (aged 39 to 83 years) who were consecutive candidates of elective coronary artery bypass surgery for de novo lesions (coronary angiography showing ≥70% lumen diameter stenosis in at least one epicardial coronary artery) were enrolled in this study. Blood samples were drawn from an antecubital vein immediately before the operation and from the coronary sinus during coronary artery bypass surgery for determination of specific IgG antibodies against C. pneumoniae. C. pneumoniae IgG was negative in all blood samples obtained immediately before coronary artery bypass surgery. In terms of blood samples drawn from the coronary sinus during coronary artery bypass surgery, there were no statistically significant differences between C. pneumoniae IgG negative and positive groups with respect to age, gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia and smoking (p > 0.05 is true form for all variables). Furthermore, the two groups were not significantly different with regard to the coronary arteries grafted during coronary artery bypass surgery (P > 0.05 for all variables). The detection of C. pneumoniae IgG positivity underlines the importance of the association between coronary artery disease and C. pneumoniae.

Key words: Chlamydophila pneumonia, atherosclerosis, coronary artery bypass surgery.