High Prevalence of Chlamydia pneumoniae DNA in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease and in Middle-Aged Blood Donors

• Published in: The Journal of infectious diseases 1998-07, Vol.178 (1), p.274-277
• Main Authors: Boman, Jens, Söderberg, Stefan, Forsberg, Jenny, Birgander, Lisbeth Slunga, Allard, Annika, Persson, Kenneth, Jidell, Erik, Kumlin, Urban, Juto, Per, Waldenström, Anders, Wadell, Göran
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antibodies; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial endocarditis, myocarditis and pericarditis. Bacterial diseases of the aorta, limb vessels and lymphatic vessels; Bartonella; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Blood donation; Blood Donors; Chlamydia Infections - complications; Chlamydia Infections - diagnosis; Chlamydia Infections - epidemiology; Chlamydia pneumoniae; Chlamydophila pneumoniae; Chlamydophila pneumoniae - genetics; Chlamydophila pneumoniae - immunology; Chlamydophila pneumoniae - isolation & purification; Concise Communications; Coronary Angiography; Coronary artery disease; Coronary Disease - complications; Coronary Disease - microbiology; Coronary Disease - surgery; DNA, Bacterial - blood; Female; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infections; Infectious diseases; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - microbiology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Polymerase chain reaction; Prevalence; Serology
• ISSN: 0022-1899; 1537-6613; 1537-6613
• DOI: 10.1086/517452

Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) demonstrated the presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae-specific DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). PBMC samples were obtained from 103 consecutive patients (62 male, 41 female) aged 22–85 years (mean, 64) admitted for coronary angiography because of suspected coronary heart disease and from 52 blood donors (43 male, 9 female) aged 40–64 years (mean, 49). Of the 101 evaluable patients, 60 (59%) were identified by nPCR assay as C. pneumoniae DNA carriers; C. pneumoniae-specific microimmunofluorescence (MIF) serology confirmed exposure to the bacterium in 57 (95%) of the 60 nPCR-positive patients. Among the 52 blood donors, the nPCR assay identified 24 (46%) C. pneumoniae DNA carriers, all of whom were positive by C. pneumoniae-specific serology. Thirty-two patients (32%) and 23 blood donors (44%) were MIF antibody-positive but repeatedly nPCR-negative; Bartonella henselae- or Bartonella quintana-specific antibodies were not detected among any of these subjects. In this study, C. pneumoniae DNA was common in PBMC of patients with coronary heart disease and in middle-aged blood donors.