LA CHLAMYDIA PNEUMONIAE È CORRELABILE CON LA ROTTURA DELLA PLACCA ATEROSCLEROTICA? RUPTURE OF THE ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUE: IS CHLAMYDIA PNEUMONIAE A POSSIBLE AGENT?

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 subgrou…