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Updated: Aug 13, 2026
09:18
Assessing Bacterial Invasion of Cardiac Cells in Culture and Heart Colonization in Infected Mice Using Listeria monocytogenes
Published on: May 27, 2015
Infection and coronary heart disease
1Department of Clinical Bacteriology, University Hospital NHS Trust, Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre, Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Journal of Medical Microbiology
|July 1, 1997
Summary
Microbial agents like viruses and bacteria are increasingly linked to the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). Further prospective studies are needed to confirm the causative role of these pathogens in atherosclerosis.
Area of Science:
- Infectious disease
- Cardiovascular pathology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD) may have infectious origins.
- Several microbial agents are under investigation for their role in disease pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evidence implicating microbial agents in coronary heart disease.
- To discuss the implications for prevention and treatment strategies.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing epidemiological and pathological evidence.
- Identification of viral and bacterial pathogens associated with atherosclerosis.
Main Results:
- Viral agents like Herpesviridae (e.g., Herpes simplex virus, Cytomegalovirus) show sero-epidemiological links and in vitro effects.
- Bacterial agents, notably Chlamydia pneumoniae and Helicobacter pylori, are found in lesions and associated with CHD.
- Microbial infections induce metabolic changes relevant to atherosclerosis.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence suggests associations between various microbes and CHD.
- Prospective studies are essential to establish causality and guide clinical interventions for atherosclerotic diseases.
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