Detection of viable Chlamydia pneumoniae in abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Abstract

to investigate the presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae in the wall of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) and in the aortas of patients without a history of cardiovascular disease. case-control study. twenty-six consecutive patients operated for AAA were compared to 17 controls. aorta was obtained at surgery or autopsy (controls) and prepared for immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis and culture for C. pneumoniae. Throat swabs from 14/26 patients were analysed by PCR for C. pneumoniae. Blood was obtained from 24/26 patients and from 178 70-year-old males. C. pneumoniae was detected in the aortic aneurysms of 20/26 patients by IHC. C. pneumoniae was cultured from 10 of the 20 IHC-positive patients. Only 1/17 controls was positive for C. pneumoniae by IHC (p=0.0001). PCR was positive for C. pneumoniae in 5/14 patients. Serological analysis by microimmunofluoresence (MIF) showed significantly more high titres of the specific antibodies to C. pneumoniae in patients than in age-matched male controls. we conclude that C. pneumoniae is often present in AAAs in a viable form and that C. pneumoniae is linked to the pathogenesis of AAA.