Ist der verschluss von aorto-koronaren venenbypaessen durch chronische Infektionen mit Zytomegalie-Viren oder Chlamydia pneumoniae bedingt?

A causal relationship between atherosclerosis and chronic infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) and/or Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been suggested. Whether the unresolved problem of venous coronary-artery bypass graff occlusion is related to infection with C. pneumoniae and/or CMV has not been addressed. 38 coronary-artery vein grafts and twenty native saphenous veins were examined. Detection of C. pneumoniae DN-A was performed by use of nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Homogenisates from the specimen were cultured for identification of viable C. pneumoniae. Both conventional PCR and quantitative PCR for detection of CMV DNA were applied. C. pneumoniae DNA could be detected in 25% of occluded vein grafts. Viable C. pneumoniae were recovered from 16% of occluded vein grafts. Except for one native saphenous vein, all control vessels were negative for both C. pneumoniae detection and culture. All pathological and control specimens were negative for CMV DNA detection. Occluded aorto-coronary venous grafts harbor C. pneumoniae but not CMV. The detection of C. pneumoniae in occluded vein grafts warrants further investigation.