There is an increasing body of evidence linking the common respiratory human pathogen Chlamydia pneumoniae with atherosclerosis and other vascular disorders. Our research was designed to investigate the association of this organism with anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION), representing an acute ischemic disorder of the optic nerve head. Sera were examined of 14 consecutive patients with AION and of 14 age- and sex-matched control subjects with noncardiovascular, nonpulmonary disorders. Antibodies against chlamydial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and outer membrane proteins of C. pneumoniae were determined by ELISA. Further, nucleic acid amplification tests were done in order to detect C. pneumoniae-specific nucleotide sequences. Four patients (29%) were IgA positive, 11 (79%) were IgG positive and 1 (7%) was IgM positive for chlamydial LPS antibodies. In the control group, 36, 79 and 7% were IgA, IgG and IgM positive and showed no significant difference. IgA, IgG and IgM antibodies to C. pneumoniae were found in 43, 79 and 0% and did not differ from matched controls. By the nucleic acid amplification test, specific C. pneumoniae sequences were neither detected in the AION patients nor in the control group. These data do not support the association of AION with previous C. pneumoniae infection. However, it remains unclear whether Chlamydia actually initiates atherosclerotic injury, facilitates its progression or plays another role in other vascular disorders.

Keywords:
Chlamydia pneumoniae, Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, Chlamydial lipopolysaccharide, Chlamydial DNA
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2002
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