Paz M, de Otero J, Codinach P, Ferrer-Ruscalleda F, Gayà M, Ibernón M
Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital de la Cruz Roja, Barcelona.
Rev Esp Cardiol. 1998 Nov;51(11):857-63.
The role of inflammatory reactions in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is widely accepted. Recently, an increasing body of evidence has linked infections to atherosclerosis. It is hypothesized that infections could interact with other risk factors of vascular disease, enhancing the endothelial damage and the production of atherosclerotic plaques. Several different infectious agents have been related to the atherosclerosis genesis: mainly herpesvirus, Helicobacter pylori and Chlamydia pneumoniae. Several lines of evidence strongly link C. pneumoniae to atherosclerosis. Consequently, several studies evaluating the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment in the reduction of cardiac ischemic events in patients with C. pneumoniae seropositivity have been performed. These studies support a causative role for C. pneumoniae. This article reviews the recent evidence linking infections to atherosclerosis, with emphasis on the role of C. pneumoniae on the atherosclerotic plaque.
炎症反应在动脉粥样硬化发病机制中的作用已被广泛认可。最近，越来越多的证据将感染与动脉粥样硬化联系起来。据推测，感染可能与血管疾病的其他危险因素相互作用，加剧内皮损伤并促进动脉粥样硬化斑块的形成。几种不同的感染因子与动脉粥样硬化的发生有关：主要是疱疹病毒、幽门螺杆菌和肺炎衣原体。多条证据有力地将肺炎衣原体与动脉粥样硬化联系起来。因此，已经开展了多项研究来评估抗生素治疗对降低肺炎衣原体血清阳性患者心脏缺血事件的有效性。这些研究支持肺炎衣原体具有致病作用。本文综述了近期将感染与动脉粥样硬化联系起来的证据，重点阐述了肺炎衣原体在动脉粥样硬化斑块中的作用。
