The effect of infection by Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) on patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) was investigated. Fifty patients, 25 suffered from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (Group I), 25 suffered from unstable angina (Group II) and 20 clinically healthy persons of the same age were selected as control group(Group III). The patient groups were subgrouped according to the most important risk factors for CHD (smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and high triglycerides). The level of C. pneumoniae IgG & IgM, H. pylori IgG, IL-6 and CRP were detected in the sera of the three groups. It was found that C. pneumoniae IGG was positive in 88%, 72% and 35% in groups I, II and III, respectively, which was significantly higher in group I and II than III. C. pneumoniae IgM was positive in 4%, 20% and 0% in groups I, II and III respectively which was significantly higher in group I and II than group III with a statistical significance among the three groups. H. pylori IgG was positive in 60%, 48% and 45% in groups I, II and III respectively with a non-significant difference among the three groups. As regards to smoking status, C. pneumoniae IgG was higher in smokers than in non-smokers in groups I and II with significant difference in group I only. C. pneumoniae IgM was insignificant in both groups. H. pylori IgG was higher in smokers ingro,up I (86.7%) than in group II (52.9%) with non-significant difference. Concerning blood pressure, C. pneumoniae IgG, IgM and
H. pylori IgG in both groups were high in hypertensives with no significant relation among them. As regards to cholesterol' and triglycerides levels, the mean titers of C. pneumoniae IgG, IgM and H. pylori were high in patients with high cholesterol and triglycerides in both patients groups with no significant relation among them. IL6 and CRP were significantly elevated in AMI and unstable angina particularly in patients with serological evidence of C. pneumoniae. We concluded that blocking the activity of IL6 might result in a decrease severity and can be viewed in light of a reduction in cardiovascular events in unstable angina and in survivors of myocardial infarction after macrolide antibiotic treatment for C. pneumoniae which also posses strong antiinflammatory effects.
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