Is <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> a Factor in Coronary Atherosclerosis?

Abstract

A number of epidemiological studies have suggested associations between Helicobacter pylori seropositivity and coronary heart disease (2). High concentrations of immunoglobulin G antibody to H. pylori are fairly reliable indicators of chronic gastric infection, but the presence of antibodies in serum does not necessarily indicate persistent exposure of the coronary arteries to any type of insult. Although a number of pathological studies have reported the presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae DNA, antigens, or elementary bodies in diseased arterial specimens (3), there is little direct evidence available on the possible presence ofH. pylori in the bloodstream or in vascular tissue. Hence, we investigated the presence of the H. pylori genome in buffy coat samples and in diseased arterial segments.