146 research outputs found
The relationship between Chlamydophila pneumoniae IgG titer and coronary atherosclerosis
Background: The role of Chlamydophila pneumoniae (CP) in the progression of atherosclerosis
is controversial. Also no sufficient angiographic study is available about the impact of CP
infection on severity and intensity of coronary atherosclerosis. We investigated the relation
between CP IgG antibody titers and severity and intensity of coronary atherosclerosis
Methods: The study population consisted of 516 consecutive patients who underwent
a coronary angiography. The group included 353 patients who had coronary artery disease;
a control group included 163 subjects with angiographically proven normal coronary arteries.
Chlamydophila pneumoniae IgG antibody titers were measured by an enzyme immunoassay
method in all patients. Gensini scores and extent scores were used to evaluate the angiographic
extent and severity of atherosclerosis.
Results: The mean value of IgG antibody titer was 44.3 ± 28.8 IU/mL in the patients and
39.8 ± 27.4 IU/mL in the control group (p = 0.14). There was no statistically significant
correlation between the Gensini scores, extent scores and CP IgG titers (Gensini score: r = +0.103,
p = 0.07, extent score: r = +0.110, p = 0.31). When we grouped the patients as high (> 50 IU/mL)
and low (< 50 IU/mL) IgG antibody titers, the number of diseased coronary arteries was
higher in patients with high IgG antibody titers (respectively: 2.6 ± 1.1 vs. 2.2 ± 0.8, p = 0.01).
While the Gensini score was significantly higher in patients with high IgG antibody titers
(7.5 ± 4.0 vs. 6.17 ± 4.0, p = 0.01), the extent score did not change with IgG titers (29.8 ± 15.9
vs. 25.8 ± 15.4, p = 0.08).
Conclusions: In our study, we investigated the relation between CP infection and coronary
atherosclerosis and found that CP IgG antibody titers are associated with the severity of
coronary stenosis at higher antibody levels. However, there is no association between CP
antibody titers and clinical presentation of coronary artery disease. We suggest that CP has
limited effect on coronary atherosclerosis. (Cardiol J 2008; 15: 245-251
Long term clinical outcomes of brachytherapy, bare-metal stenting, and drug-eluting stenting for de novo and in-stent restenosis lesions: Five year follow-up
Background: We aimed to investigate the effects of brachytherapy, drug-eluting stent (DES)
and bare metal stent (BMS) applications in the treatment of coronary artery disease, on five-
-year clinical outcomes and mortality.
Methods: Two hundred and seventeen patients who were treated in our clinics between
January 2000 and December 2003 with brachytherapy, DES, or BMS for both de novo and in-
-stent restenosis lesions were included in this cohort study. Of these 217 patients, 69 received
brachytherapy, 80 were given BMS and 68 were given DES. The clinical outcomes of the
patients during hospitalization and over a long-term follow-up were evaluated. Cardiovascular
events, revascularizations and mortality rates were compared among the three groups over
a five-year follow-up.
Results: The mean age was 60.1 ± 9.5 years in the brachytherapy group, 55.7 ± 9.2 years in
the BMS group, and 58.9 ± 9.8 years in the DES group (p = 0.44). All-cause mortality rates
were 20 (29%) brachytherapy patients, 22 (27.5%) BMS patients, and four (5.9%) DES
patients (p = 0.01). Cardiovascular event was the cause of death for 14 (20.3%) brachytherapy
patients, 16 (20%) BMS patients and four (5.9%) DES patients (p = 0.001). All-cause
mortality rates were 20 (29%) brachytherapy patients, 22 (27.5%) BMS patients and four
(5.9%) DES patients. All-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates were significantly lower in the
DES group compared to both the BMS and the brachytherapy groups (p = 0.01 and p = 0.001,
respectively).
Conclusions: DES application for in-stent restenosis and de novo lesions was superior to
brachytherapy and BMS application with respect to all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities.
(Cardiol J 2011; 18, 6: 654–661
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