Relationship between the peripheral arterial occlusive disease and the infection by Chlamydophila pneumoniae

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The relationship between peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) and Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection was studied by analyzing clinical samples from 95 patients with PAOD (cases) and 100 controls. PATIENTS AND METHOD: The following investigations were conducted: IgG and IgA against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and against purified C. pneumoniae-specific antigens from elementary bodies (EB) with ELISA; anti-EB IgG, with MIF; C. pneumoniae DNA in arterial biopsy and peripheral blood leukocyte cells (PBLCs) with heminested PCR; LPS with ELISA; and bacteria culture in HEp-2 cells from arterial biopsy. RESULTS: The percentage of positive results in cases and controls groups for anti-LPS IgG was: 21% and 14%, respectively, with no differences; nor were there any differences with IgA (22 and 21%, respectively). However, differences were seen in the anti-EB IgG between cases (74% and 72%, for ELISA and MIF, respectively) and controls (31% and 34%). There were no differences in anti-EB IgA. Bacterial DNA was detected in 67% of atheromatous plaques (cases) vs. 12% of pudendal arteries (controls) (p = 0.0001). No C. pneumoniae DNA and LPS was detected in PBLCs and biopsic samples, respectively; and no C. pneumoniae strain could be recovered by cell culture from cases. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of our results, PAOD is significantly associated with C. pneumoniae infection through the detection of anti-EB IgG from serum and bacterial DNA from arterial biopsy.