Detection of cytomegalovirus, Helicobacter pylori and Chlamydia pneumoniae DNA in carotid atherosclerotic plaques by the polymerase chain reaction

Objective-Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) have been associated with human atherosclerosis. The reported rates of detection within atherosclerotic lesions by PCR vary widely for all of these pathogens. We investigated their presence in carotid atherosclerotic plaques. Methods and results-Eighty-three carotid atherosclerotic specimens were available for examination. The highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction method was employed with primers specific for each agent. The presence of CMV DNA was not detected in any of the examined samples (0%), whereas the presence of H. pylori DNA was observed in two out of eighty-three cases (2.4%). C. pneumoniae DNA was found in eighteen (21.6%) of the plaques studied. Conclusions-H. pylori DNA was detected in a very small subset of atherosclerotic plaques, whereas CMV DNA was not detected in any of the plaques studied. C. pneumoniae DNA was found in a significant number of our atherosclerotic plaques. Further studies are needed to clarify the possible causal relation between infection by these organisms and atherosclerosis.