[Frontiers in Bioscience E4, 2423-2432, June 1, 2012]

Early atherosclerotic plaques show evidence of infection by Chlamydia pneumoniae

Ana Luque1,2,3, Marta M. Turu2, Norma Rovira1, Josep Oriol Juan-Babot2, Mark Slevin3,4, Jerzy Krupinski1,2

1Hospital Universitari Mutua Terrassa, Department of Neurology, Cerebrovascular Diseases Unit, Barcelona, Spain, 2Cardiovascular Research Center,ICCC, Barcelona, Spain, 3Human Molecular Genetics Group,IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain, 4School of Biology, Chemistry and Health Science, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Materials and methods
3.1.Patients and sample collection
3.2.PCR protocol
3.3.Serological testing
3.4.Immunohistochemical analysis
3.5.Statistical analysis
4. Results
4.1.PCR detection of C. pneumonia
4.1.1.Detection of C. Pneumoniae in carotid arteries with low-moderate stenosis < 50%
4.1.2.Detection of C. Pneumoniae in carotid arteries with high-grade stenosis > 70%
4.1.3.Detection of C. Pneumoniae in middle cerebral arteries
4.2.Serological detection of C. pneumoniae
4.3.Immunohistochemistry of HIF-1 alpha
5. Discussion
6. Acknowledgement
7. References

1. ABSTRACT

Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) could play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. Cpn interferes with HIF-1alpha regulation in infected host cells during intracellular replication in hypoxia. We obtained carotid artery specimens with low (n=38), high (n=25) levels of stenosis and 10 control middle cerebral arteries. Fifty eight percent of the carotids with low levels of stenosis showed evidence of the viable Cpn. Ninety one percent of the positive results were derived from pre-atheromatous lesions. Only 12 percent of plaques removed at endarterectomy showed the presence of Cpn DNA. All control middle cerebral arteries failed to show evidence of live Cpn. Ninety one percent of sera from 22 endarterectomy patients showws the presence of Cpn antibodies. Immunohistology of carotid arteries with low levels of stenosis was used to confirm the presence of HIF-1alpha in infected specimens and showed a correlation between the over-expression of HIF-1alpha and Cpn in the plaque (p less than 0.05). Cpn might play an important role in activation and development of the initial stages of atherosclerotic lesions.