RESUMO
AIM: To determine whether the common respiratory pathogen, Chlamydia pneumoniae, was associated with atherosclerotic plaques in Australian subjects. METHODS: A total of 29 coronary atherosclerotic lesions and 18 normal coronary arterial samples were tested for the presence of C. pneumoniae by PCR and immunofluorescence methods. RESULTS: Chlamydia pneumoniae was detected in 15 of the atheromatous lesions as well as in three of the normal tissues; the immunofluorescence assay was more sensitive (P=0.028) than PCR (P=0.26). CONCLUSIONS: These findings contradict previous Australian studies which did not detect C. pneumoniae in atherosclerotic plaques, thereby discounting the speculation that its absence was likely due to geographical variation. The detection of the bacterium in some of the normal tissues suggests that C. pneumoniae infection might be an initial trigger of atherosclerotic development.
Assuntos
Arteriosclerose/microbiologia , Chlamydophila pneumoniae/isolamento & purificação , Doença da Artéria Coronariana/microbiologia , Vasos Coronários/microbiologia , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Arteriosclerose/patologia , Chlamydophila pneumoniae/genética , Chlamydophila pneumoniae/patogenicidade , Doença da Artéria Coronariana/patologia , Vasos Coronários/patologia , DNA Bacteriano/análise , Feminino , Imunofluorescência , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Reação em Cadeia da PolimeraseRESUMO
Organophosphate-based pesticides have been associated with pathology and chromosomal damage in humans. There are also epidemiologic links with cancer. The few screening tests for low-level occupational exposure are of doubtful sensitivity; this investigation evaluated four methods. Blood samples were studied from 10 farmers before and after occupational exposure to organophosphate-based pesticides and five unexposed controls. The standard cholinesterase test was insensitive to the exposure (P=0.815). However, a significant increase in Howell-Jolly bodies within erythrocytes was observed (P=0.001). Cytogenetic studies on routine and aphidicolin-induced blood cultures revealed that following organophosphate exposure the total number of gaps and breaks on human chromosomes was significantly increased (P=0.004 and P=0.0006, respectively). We concluded that Howell-Jolly body and fragile site analysis were sensitive indicators of nuclear damage resulting from low-level occupational exposure to organophosphate. Such nuclear damage could be implicated in carcinogenesis. The development of bladder cancer is one such example.