Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 19, 2026
Cell-free Biochemical Fluorometric Enzymatic Assay for High-throughput Measurement of Lipid Peroxidation in High Density Lipoprotein
Published on: October 12, 2017
Chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies and high lipoprotein(a) levels do not predict ischemic cerebral infarctions. Results
C A Glader1, B Stegmayr, J Boman
1Department of Clinical Chemistry, Umeâ University, Sweden. christine.ahlbeck.glader@klinkemi.umu.se
Insights
High lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and Chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies do not predict ischemic stroke. This study found no association between these markers and future cerebral infarctions in men or women.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Neurology
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Background:
- Previous research suggested a link between high lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and Chlamydia pneumoniae IgG in coronary artery disease.
- The potential of Lp(a) and C. pneumoniae antibodies as stroke predictors remained unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether plasma Lp(a) levels and C. pneumoniae antibodies can predict ischemic stroke.
- To examine the association between these markers and ischemic cerebral infarctions.
Main Methods:
- An incident case-control study involving 101 ischemic stroke cases and 201 controls.
- Plasma samples analyzed for C. pneumoniae-specific IgG and IgA antibodies and Lp(a) levels.
- Study population nested within the Västerbotten Intervention Program and WHO MONICA project.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in C. pneumoniae IgG or IgA titers between cases and controls.
- Plasma Lp(a) levels did not predict ischemic cerebral infarctions in either sex.
- No significant difference in the combined prevalence of positive C. pneumoniae IgG and high Lp(a) between groups.
Conclusions:
- Baseline plasma Lp(a) levels and C. pneumoniae antibodies are not associated with future ischemic cerebral infarctions.
- No interactive effect was observed between high Lp(a) and C. pneumoniae IgG titers.
- Potential influence of selection bias and a recent C. pneumoniae epidemic on findings noted.
Background And Purpose:
An association between high lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels and positive Chlamydia pneumoniae IgG titers in coronary artery disease has been described. The possibility of predicting ischemic stroke by measurements of plasma Lp(a) and C pneumoniae antibodies was investigated.
Methods:
This incident case-control study included 101 case subjects (cases) who had suffered ischemic cerebral infarctions and 201 matched control subjects (controls). The study population was nested within the Västerbotten Intervention Program or the WHO MONICA project. Plasma samples were measured for C pneumoniae-specific IgG and IgA antibodies and Lp(a).
Results:
A significantly higher mean Lp(a) level was found in female cases than in female controls. However, plasma Lp(a) was unable to predict ischemic cerebral infarctions in either women or men. The proportion of individuals with positive C pneumoniae-specific IgG or IgA titers did not differ between cases and controls. Antibody titers were unable to predict a future stroke. The proportion of individuals with a positive C pneumoniae IgG titer in combination with a high Lp(a) level did not differ significantly between cases and controls.
Conclusions:
These data suggest that there is no association between baseline plasma Lp(a) levels, presence of C pneumoniae antibodies, and future ischemic cerebral infarctions. Furthermore, no evidence of an interactive effect between high Lp(a) levels and C pneumoniae IgG titers was found. However, selection bias and a recent C pneumoniae epidemic may have influenced the results.
