Chlamydia pneumoniae strain TWAR antibody and angiographically demonstrated coronary artery disease

Arterioscler Thromb. 1991 May-Jun;11(3):547-51. doi: 10.1161/01.atv.11.3.547.

Abstract

A recent case-control study from Finland reported a strong association between high antibody titers to Chlamydia pneumoniae, strain TWAR, and both chronic coronary heart disease and acute myocardial infarction. The current case-control study investigated the relation between C. pneumoniae immunoglobulin G antibody titers and angiographically diagnosed coronary artery disease. Cases (n = 461) were angiography patients with at least one coronary artery lesion occupying at least 50% of the luminal diameter. Controls (n = 95) were angiography patients with no demonstrable coronary artery disease. After standardization for age and gender, the geometric mean antibody titer was higher for cases than for controls (30.0 versus 24.0, p = 0.04). The estimated risk of coronary artery disease, adjusted for age and gender, was greater among subjects with high (greater than or equal to 1:64) antibody titers than among subjects with low (less than or equal to 1:8) antibody titers (relative risk, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-4.0). The risk associated with a high antibody titer was particularly great for coronary artery disease with five or more lesions (relative risk, 2.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-7.0). The results of this cross-sectional study support an association between infection with C. pneumoniae and coronary artery disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Chlamydia / immunology*
  • Chlamydia Infections / immunology*
  • Coronary Angiography
  • Coronary Disease / diagnostic imaging
  • Coronary Disease / epidemiology
  • Coronary Disease / microbiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / analysis
  • Male
  • Myocardial Infarction / microbiology
  • Risk Factors

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Immunoglobulin G