Author/Editor     Zorc, Metka; Legan, Mateja; Zorc-Pleskovič, Ruda; Vraspir-Porenta, Olga
Title     Case report: 42-year-old man with diffuse and distal coronary artery disease and chronic chlamydial infection
Type     članek
Source     In: Štiblar-Martinčič D, Petrovič D, editors. Cardiovascular diseases. Proceedings of the 32nd memorial meeting devoted to professor Janez Plečnik, International symposium in memory of professor Rene Favaloro; 2001 Dec 6-8; Ljubljana. Ljubljana: Medical faculty,
Publication year     2001
Volume     str. 285-7
Language     eng
Abstract     The case of a young man with diffuse and distal coronary heart disease was introduced. The beginning of the disease was rapid, it coincides with respiratory infection. The patient suffered myocardial infarction. He was treated medicamentousaly and surgically (revascularisation with bypasses and endarterectomy of damaged vessels). The lack of presented risk factors as well as negative family history led us to search for other possible causes of the disease. According to recent knowledge about possible role of infectious agents in atherosclerosis, the patient was screened for the active infection with Cytomegalovirus, Helicobacter pylori and Chlamydia pneumoniae. The causal role of Chlamydia pneumoniae in diffuse and distal coronary heart disease in our patient suggests: - dynamic of serology (antibodies against Chlamydia pneumoniae), - worsening of symptoms at rectivation of infection/ reinfection, - symptom relief after appropriate antibiotic therapy, - positive direct immunofluorecsent test on Chlamydia pneumoniae in the operated vessel, - positive PCR reaction on Chlamydia pneumoniae antigen in the operated vessel, - hystological evidence of chronical inflammation in the endarterectomized segments of the coronary arteries.
Descriptors     CORONARY DISEASE
CHLAMYDIA INFECTIONS
CHLAMYDIA PNEUMONIAE
ADULT