<p><i>Chlamydophila pneumoniae</i> (<i>C. pneumoniae</i>) has been suggested as a stimulator of chronic inflammation in atherosclerosis. <i>C. pneumoniae</i> DNA was demonstrated in aortic biopsies in 50% of patients with stable angina pectoris or acute coronary syndrome undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. <i>C. pneumoniae</i> mRNA, a marker of replicating bacteria, was demonstrated in 18% of the aortic biopsies. </p><p>Inflammation may have a role in the pathogenesis of thoracic aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection and aortic valve stenosis. <i>C. pneumoniae </i>DNA was demonstrated in aortic biopsies in 26% of thoracic aortic aneurysm patients and in 11% of aortic dissection patients undergoing thoracic surgery and in 22% of stenotic aortic heart valves from patients undergoing aortic valve replacement. No bacterial mRNA was demonstrated in these aortic biopsies, nor in the valves, suggesting that the infection has passed into a persistent state. <i>C. pneumoniae</i> DNA was demonstrated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in only 5% of aortic valve stenosis patients and not in thoracic aortic aneurysm or aortic dissection patients, suggesting that the bacterium disseminated to the cardiovascular tissue long before the patient required surgery. The copper/zinc ratio in serum, a marker of infection/inflammation, was significantly elevated in thoracic aortic aneurysm patients, supporting an inflammatory pathogenesis. Patients positive for <i>C. pneumoniae</i> in the aortic valve had more advanced coronary atherosclerosis, further supporting a possible role for <i>C. pneumoniae</i> in atherosclerosis. </p><p>Mice were infected with <i>C. pneumoniae</i> that disseminated to all organs investigated (i.e. lungs, heart, aorta, liver and spleen). Trace element concentrations were altered in infected animals with an increased copper/zinc ratio in serum, a progressively increased iron concentration in the liver and a progressively decreased iron concentration in serum. Iron is important for <i>C. pneumoniae</i> metabolism, and a changed iron homeostasis was noted in infected mice by alterations in iron-regulating proteins, such as DMT1 and hepcidin.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA/oai:DiVA.org:uu-8667 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Edvinsson, Marie |
| Publisher | Uppsala University, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala : Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary, text |
| Relation | Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Medicine, 1651-6206 ; 340 |
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