Blood microflora of patients with atherosclerotic vascular lesions and microflora of atherosclerotic plaques of carotid arteries

Aim of the study was to assess the frequency of microflora detection in the blood of patients with atherosclerotic vascular lesions and middle-aged patients without clinical symptoms of atherosclerosis. Compare the nature of microflora isolated from blood and the range of microorganisms isolated from atherosclerotic plaques (AP) of patients with carotid arteries atherosclerosis. Material and methods. The hemocultures of 118 men and 33 women with atherosclerosis (mean age 55.6 years) as well as 10 blood samples of 3 men and 7 women formed into a control group (mean age 37 years) were examined. Test samples were cultivated for 6 months. Tissue platings of carotid arteries AP in 11 women and 24 men of the main group (mean age 58.0) were incubated for 2 months. Methods based on Student’s t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used for statistical analysis of the obtained results. Results. Propionibacterium acnes hemocultures were detected in 9.9 % of patients from the main and control groups. In blood Staphylococcus epidermidis and Stenotrophomonas maltophylia were detected in 0.7 % of samples. P. acnes and Staphylococcus spp. cultures were obtained from AP in 34.3 and 45.7 %, including both microorganisms in 8.6 % of samples. Conclusions. P. acnes cultures are found equally frequently in the blood of atherosclerotic patients and patients not yet diagnosed with atherosclerosis. This study confirmed the presence of the same-name microorganisms in blood and atherosclerotic plaques. In 5.7 % (2 of 35) it was possible to extract simultaneously a P. acnes culture from two loci (atherosclerotic tissue and blood) in specific individuals. Further detailed research is required to study the etiological significance of the microbial factor in the atherosclerotic plaque formation