Chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies in severe essential hypertension

Several studies have implied an association between Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) and cardiovascular disease. Our study was designed to determine whether this organism is associated with severe essential hypertension in a multiracial British population. Antibodies to C. pneumoniae were measured by microimmunofluorescence in 123 patients with chronic severe hypertension and 123 control subjects, matched for ethnic origin, age, sex, and smoking habit, admitted to the same hospital with various noncardiovascular, nonpulmonary disorders. Previous infection was defined by IgG 64 to 256, provided that there was no detectable IgM. Multiple regression analyses of matched and unmatched data were used to investigate the influences of antibody levels and potential confounding factors (ethnic origin, age, sex, smoking habit, diabetes mellitus, and social deprivation) on hypertension. A portion of the hypertensive patients underwent echocardiography, estimation of left ventricular mass index, and measurements of fibrinogen, D-dimer, and von Willebrand factor concentrations. Thirty-five percent of hypertensive patients and 17.9% of matched control subjects had antibody titers consistent with previous C. pneumoniae infection. The hypertensive patients differed significantly from their matched control subjects in their level of previous infection, with an odds ratio of 2.5 (95% confidence interval, 1.3 to 4.7). There were no significant differences in antibody levels between patients with left ventricular hypertrophy and those without it. Fibrinogen, D-dimer, and von Willebrand factor concentrations were not significantly associated with antibody levels. These data support an association of C. pneumoniae with severe essential hypertension. They provide no evidence of a predisposition to develop left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients with C. pneumoniae infection or of associations with hypercoagulability or endothelial dysfunction.