A chronic inflammatory response caused by a persistent infection of the coronary arteries may explain the link between C. pneumoniae and atherosclerosis. Ann Intern Med. From the University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky. For the current author addresses see end of text . Study Group, see the Appendix .
Atherosclerosis is pathologically similar to a chronic inflammatory response.
For such an infection to occur, the bacteria should be not only present but viable in the coronary arteries. However, all attempts to culture C. pneumoniae from coronary artery atheromas have been unsuccessful. We sought to determine, using various diagnostic methods, whether C. pneumoniae was present in the coronary arteries of patients with coronary atherosclerosis. During a 9-month period, all patients who sought heart transplantation at the Jewish Hospital Heart and Lung Institute in Louisville, Kentucky, were asked to participate in this study. Twelve consecutive patients were enrolled after informed consent was obtained.