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Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Visualization of Streptococcus pneumoniae within Cardiac Microlesions and Subsequent Cardiac Remodeling
Published on: April 7, 2015
[Rupture of the atherosclerotic plaque: is Chlamydia pneumoniae a possible agent?]
Giovanni Fazio1, Loredana Sutera, Rosanna Zito
1Divisione di Cardiologia, Università degli Studi, Palermo. Giovanni.fazio-aaaa@poste.it
Background:
The natural history of atherosclerosis has not clearly been elucidated yet. Some works reported that flogosis plays a role in plaque instability. Why does this inflammatory process start? We investigated the correlation between Chlamydia pneumoniae acute infection and plaque rupture.
Methods:
We compared blood concentrations of IgM anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae in patients affected by acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and in patients affected by stable angina.
Results:
Our results showed a minimal statistical difference, with a more positive value in patients with AMI. Subsequently, the group affected by AMI was divided into two subgroups with and without plaque rupture: the subgroup with plaque rupture showed a higher blood concentration of Chlamydia antibodies. This subgroup was also divided into two other subgroups according to blood white cell concentration: the subgroup with normal concentration of white blood cells showed the highest value of Chlamydia antibodies.
Conclusions:
Chlamydia pneumoniae could play an important role in atherosclerotic plaque instability
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