Antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae and clinical course in patients with unstable angina pectoris

• Published in: Atherosclerosis Vol. 153; no. 2; pp. 499 - 504
• Main Authors: de Maat, Moniek P.M., Ossewaarde, Jacobus M., Verheggen, Peter W.H.M., Kluft, Cornelis, Manger Cats, Volkert, Haverkate, Frits
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-12-2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Angina, Unstable - blood; Angina, Unstable - immunology; Angina, Unstable - physiopathology; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Antibodies, Bacterial - immunology; Antigens, Bacterial - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; C-reactive protein; Cardiology. Vascular system; Chlamydia pneumoniae; Chlamydophila Infections - immunology; Chlamydophila Infections - physiopathology; Chlamydophila pneumoniae - immunology; Coronary heart disease; Female; Heart; Humans; Inflammation; Interleukin-10; Male; Medical sciences; Unstable angina; Chlamydia pneumoniae; Inflammation; C-reactive protein; Interleukin-10; Unstable angina; Infection; Human; Prognosis; Chlamydiaceae; Interleukin 10; Chlamydiales; Cardiovascular disease; Bacteria; Coronary heart disease; Variant angina
• DOI: 10.1016/S0021-9150(00)00436-6
• EISSN: 1879-1484
• ISSN: 0021-9150

Inflammation is one of the most important mechanisms that contribute to coronary artery disease (CAD). One of the micro-organisms that is mentioned as a source of the inflammation is
Chlamydia
pneumoniae. In this study, we investigated the relationship between titres of IgG and IgA antibodies to
C.
pneumoniae and the clinical course, during hospitalisation and during an 18-month follow-up, in 211 patients admitted to hospital with unstable angina pectoris. Slightly more patients who were refractory during their hospitalisation were positive for
C.
pneumoniae antibodies than patients who could be stabilised by drug treatment (53 vs. 43%, for IgG and 16 vs. 11% for IgA, respectively)(n.s.). In logistic regression analysis no significant predictive values were observed for the relationship between antibody titres and clinical course. The antibody titres to
C.
pneumoniae were lower in the unstable angina patients who had plasma levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) above 5 pg/ml than in the patients with levels below 5 pg/ml, and higher in smokers than in non-smokers. No associations were observed between antibody titres to
C.
pneumoniae and C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), age, total cholesterol levels, fibrin degradation products (FDP), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). In conclusion, there was no significant association between antibody titres to
C.
pneumoniae and risk of events during hospitalisation and the 18-month follow-up period in patients admitted for unstable angina pectoris.