Detection of Helicobacter pylori specific DNA in human atheromatous coronary arteries and its association to prior myocardial infarction and unstable angina

• Published in: Digestive and liver disease Vol. 34; no. 6; pp. 398 - 402
• Main Authors: Kowalski, M., Rees, W., Konturek, P.C., Grove, R., Scheffold, T., Meixner, H., Brunec, M., Franz, N., Konturek, J.W., Pieniazek, P., Hahn, E.G., Konturek, S.J., Thale, J., Warnecke, H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01-06-2002
• Subjects: 16S ribosomal RNA; Aged; Angina, Unstable - microbiology; Case-Control Studies; coronary artery disease; Coronary Artery Disease - microbiology; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; Female; Helicobacter Infections - complications; Helicobacter pylori; Helicobacter pylori - isolation & purification; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction - microbiology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sequence Analysis, DNA; coronary artery disease; Helicobacter pylori; 16S ribosomal RNA
• ISSN: 1590-8658; 1878-3562
• DOI: 10.1016/S1590-8658(02)80036-6

Background. Chronic infections have been proposed to play a role in the aetiology or progression of atherosclerotic plaques. Increased risk of coronary artery disease has been suggested in patients seropositive for
Helicobacter pylori.
Aim. To analyse coronary specimens in patients with severe (coronary artery disease) for
Helicobacter pylori specific DNA.
Patients and Methods. Atherosclerotic plaques were obtained in 46 consecutive patients (9 female, 37 male, mean age 62.7±9.17 years) during coronary bypass procedures. Serum was analysed for IgG-/ca-gA-antibodies specific for
Helicobacter pylori. Polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis were used to identify bacterial DNA. Coronary artery biopsies from 19 autopsies without coronary artery disease were examined as a control group.
Results. Of the 46 coronary artery disease patients, 32 (69.60 were
Helicobacter pylori seropositive. Positive results for
Helicobacter pylori DNA showed 18 seropositive and 4 seronegative (with anamnesis of eradication therapy). A total of 22 patients (47.8%) of the coronary artery disease group but none of controls revealed positive DNA. In the coronary artery disease group, a correlation between DNA presence and prior myocardial infarction (
p=0.008) and unstable angina (
p<0.001) was found.
Conclusion. Identification of DNA in atherosclerotic plaques of patients with severe coronary artery disease supports the hypothesis that
Helicobacter pylori infection may influence the development of atherosclerosis. Our results may indicate an direct involvement of
Helicobacter pylori in the progression and instability of plaques in these patients.