Antibodies to Chlamydia pneumoniae and haemostatic factors in acute coronary syndrome without ST segment elevation.

Background: Various chronic infections, including Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae), are regarded as one of the possible factors which initiates, progresses and exacerbates atherosclerotic process. The relationship between C. pneumoniae infection and haemostatic factors which also may promote atherosclerosis, has not yet been established.

Aim: To assess the relationship between C. pneumoniae-specific IgA and IgG serum antibodies and haemostatic factors in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods: The study group consisted of 31 patients (17 males, mean age 62 years, and 14 females, mean age 60.6 years) with ACS and without ST segment elevation in whom antibodies to C. pneumoniae and such haemostatic factors as von Willebrand factor (vWF), thrombomodulin (TM), tissue plasmin activator (tPA), tPA inhibitor (PAI-1) and fibrinogen were measured.

Results: The proportion of patients with C. pneumoniae seropositivity was 35.4% in our study which is lower than that reported in literature. No significant relationship between vWF, TM, tPA and PAI-1 levels, and C. pneumoniae infection was found whereas a significant (p=0.05) relationship between C. pneumoniae-specific IgG antibodies and fibrinogen level was detected.

Conclusions: Excluding fibrinogen, the presence of antibodies to C. pneumoniae is not associated with increased levels of haemostatic factors in patients with ACS without ST segment elevation.