| 1. |
- Pesonen, Erkki, et al.
(författare)
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Elevated infection parameters and infection symptoms predict an acute coronary event.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease. - : SAGE Publications. - 1753-9447 .- 1753-9455. ; 2:6, s. 419-424
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The etiology and significance of flu-like symptoms often appearing before myocardial infarction should be clarified. METHODS: In a case-control study of 323 matched controls and a random sample of 110 out of 351 cases the presence of infection symptoms during the preceding four weeks before admission were asked and blood samples taken. RESULTS: Enterovirus (EV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), and Chlamydia pneumoniae IgA titers were significantly higher in cases than in controls (p<0.001, 0.008 and 0.046, respectively). Flu-like symptoms appeared significantly more often in patients than in controls the most common one being fatigue (p<0.001). In controls with fatigue, EV and HSV titers showed a trend to be higher (1.50 vs 1.45 and 4.29 vs 3.73) than in controls without fatigue but only HSV titers were statistically significantly higher (3.47 vs 3.96, p = 0.02). Even CRP and amyloid A concentrations (3.49 vs 2.08, p<0.0001 and 5.70 vs 3.77 mg/l, p = 0.003, respectively) as well as C4 (0.40 vs 0.44, p = 0.02) were higher in controls with fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: Odds ratios for a coronary event in a logistic regression model were 4.79 for fatigue and 2.72 for EV antibody levels in their fourth quartile. A linear-by-linear association test showed increasing number of single symptoms with higher EV titer quartiles (p = 0.004).
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| 2. |
- Pesonen, Erkki, et al.
(författare)
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Mannose-binding lectin as a risk factor for acute coronary syndromes.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Annals of Medicine. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1365-2060 .- 0785-3890. ; 41, s. 591-598
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is a multifunctional protein involved in innate immunity. We tested whether MBL and elevated viral and bacterial antibodies were risk factors for acute coronary events. Design. Controlled cohort study. Methods. A total of 354 patients with unstable angina pectoris (UA) or acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were compared with 334 paired controls. Results. Enterovirus titres were associated with increased risk of UA (odds ratio 10.04, P<0.001) and AMI (odds ratio 3.18, P=0.003), but titres did not correlate with either MBL concentration or genotype. Chlamydia pneumoniae heat shock protein 60 IgG concentrations were also associated with increased risk of UA (odds ratio 1.63, P=0.049). Compared to asymptomatic controls, patients had lower complement C3 serum concentrations (P<0.001), higher MBL serum concentration, and more frequently had MBL genotypes that determined high MBL levels (P<0.001). High MBL genotypes had odds ratios of 1.16 (P=0.010) for UA and 1.12 (P=0.007) for AMI. The elevation of MBL concentrations in the acute phase correlated with MBL concentrations after recovery (r=0.85, P<0.001). Conclusions. Elevated microbial titres, indicating an on-going inflammation, were associated with cardiovascular events. MBL might have a dual role both decreasing susceptibility to infections and increasing the risk of acute coronary syndromes.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Kainu, Annette, et al.
(författare)
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Responses of FEV6, FVC, and FET to inhaled bronchodilator in the adult general population.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Respiratory research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1465-993X. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The assessment of bronchodilator-induced change in forced vital capacity (FVC) is dependent on forced expiratory time (FET) in subjects with airflow limitation. Limited information is available on the concurrent responses of FVC, forced expiratory volume in six seconds (FEV6), and FET in the bronchodilation test among patients with obstructive airways disease or in the general population. The aim of this study was to assess the changes in FEV6, FVC, and FET, and their relationships in a standardized bronchodilation test in the general population. METHODS: We studied bronchodilation response in a general adult population sample of 628 individuals (260 men, 368 women) with flow-volume spirometry. The largest FVC, the corresponding FET and the largest FEV6 both at the baseline and after 0.4 mg of inhaled salbutamol were selected for analysis. RESULTS: After administration of salbutamol FEV6 decreased on average -13.4 (95% CI -22.3 to -4.5) ml or -0.2% (-0.4% to 0.0%) from the baseline. The 95th percentile of change in FEV6 was 169.1 ml and 5.0%. FVC decreased on average -42.8 (-52.4 to -33.3) ml or -1.0% (-1.2% to -0.7%). Concurrently FET changed on average -0.2 (-0.4 to 0.0) seconds or 0.4% (-1.4% to 2.3%). There were four subjects with an increase of FVC over 12% and only one of these was associated with prolonged FET after salbutamol. Changes in FEV6 and FVC were more frequently positive in subjects with reduced FEV1/FVC in baseline spirometry. CONCLUSION: In general adult population, both FEV6 and FVC tended to decrease, but FET remained almost unchanged, in the bronchodilation test. However, those subjects with signs of airflow limitation at the baseline showed frequently some increase of FEV6 and FVC in the bronchodilation test without change in FET. We suggest that FEV6 could be used in assessment of bronchodilation response in lieu of FVC removing the need for regulation of FET during bronchodilation testing.
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| 5. |
- Pesonen, Erkki, et al.
(författare)
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Dual role of infections as risk factors for coronary heart disease.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Atherosclerosis. - : Elsevier BV. - 1879-1484 .- 0021-9150. ; 192:2, s. 370-375
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: The aim of the study was to explore whether exposure to microbial agents determines the prevalence of acute coronary events. Methods and results: Patients with unstable angina pectoris and myocardial infarction (N = 335) and their paired controls were investigated. The subjects answered a questionnaire about their childhood contagious diseases: varicella, scarlet fever, measles, rubella, mononucleosis and mumps. Blood samples were taken for bacterial and viral serology. The odds ratio for CHD was highest in the upper quartile of the enterovirus (EV), herpes simplex virus (HSV) and Chlamydia pneumoniae HSP60 IgG antibody titers (1.86, p = 0.001, 1.57, p < 0.048 and 1.70, p = 0.016, respectively). The antibody titers increased cumulatively the risk for CHD (odds ratios 1.89, 2.24, 3.92 and p-values < 0.001, 0.001 and 0.047). Childhood contagious diseases (n = 6) had a protecting effect against CHD (odds ratio 0.86, p = 0.013). The risk for acute coronary events decreased significantly with increasing number of childhood contagious diseases (p = 0.007). Conclusions: Infections have a dual role in the genesis of CHD. EV, HSV and C. pneumoniae heat shock protein 60 IgG antibodies are associated with increased risk for CHID. Protection from infections usually suffered during the childhood before the era of MMR vaccination may predispose the individual to CHD.
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| 6. |
- Pesonen, Erkki, et al.
(författare)
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Infections as a stimulus for coronary occlusion, obstruction, or acute coronary syndromes.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease. - : SAGE Publications. - 1753-9447 .- 1753-9455.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: : Atherosclerosis is considered to be an inflammatory disease. Infections are a significant cause of inflammation. Acute infections might precipitate acute coronary syndromes (ACS) whereas chronic infections might be stimuli for the development of atherosclerosis. METHODS: : Coronary angiograms were done on 211 of 335 patients with ACS and the percentage of coronary obstruction was determined. Serum antibody levels to Chlamydia pneumoniae, C. pneumoniae heat shock protein 60 (CpnHSP60), human heat shock protein 60 (hHSP60), enterovirus (EV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and two major periodontal pathogens, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis, were measured in healthy controls (n = 355) and all patients. RESULTS: : Serum antibody levels to periodontal pathogens did not correlate with ACS. However, IgA-class antibody levels to Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (p = 0.021), CpnHSP60 (p = 0.048) an hHSP60 (p = 0.038) were higher in patients with coronary occlusion or obstruction compared to those without any obstruction. Odds ratios for coronary changes in the highest quartile as compared to the lower quartiles were for A. actinomycetemcomitans IgA 7.84 (95% CI 1.02-60.39, p = 0.048), for CpnHSP60 IgA 8.61 (1.12-65.89, p = 0.038), and for human HSP60 IgA 3.51 (0.79-15.69, p = 0.100). CONCLUSIONS: : We have previously reported that EV and HSV titres correlated significantly to acute coronary events. They do not correlate to the degree of coronary obstruction as shown here. However, infection by A. actinomycetemcomitans or C. pneumoniae or host response against them associated with coronary obstruction. Clinical coronary events may arise by the effect of acute infections and obstructing lesions by a chronic inflammatory stimulus.
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| 7. |
- Pesonen, Erkki, et al.
(författare)
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Serum chlamydial lipopolysaccharide as a prognostic factor for a new cardiovascular event.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Heart & Lung. - : Elsevier BV. - 1527-3288 .- 0147-9563. ; 38:3, s. 176-181
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Infections caused by Chlamydia pneumoniae are considered to participate in inflammatory processes leading to coronary artery disease. After a primary infection, the bacteria remain dormant intracellularly causing a chronic inflammatory stimulus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from 235 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 108 patients with unstable angina pectoris (UA). We evaluated the prognostic significance of bacterial and viral antibody titers, serum troponin T, C-reactive protein, and chlamydial lipopolysaccharide (cLPS) concentrations during acute coronary syndrome of patients with AMI and UA for cardiovascular death and new UA and AMI that required hospital care during a 6-year follow-up. RESULTS: Serum cLPS levels correlated with C-reactive protein and serum troponin T concentrations during acute coronary events. Patients with AMI had significantly higher serum concentration of cLPS compared with patients with UA. Enterovirus antibody titers and cholesterol-lowering therapy at admission of the index event were negatively correlated with cLPS concentration (r = -.198, P = .0003 and r = -.26, P = .019, respectively). The presence of circulating cLPS was associated with a hazard ratio of 2.04 for a new cardiovascular event during the follow-up period (P = .006). The area under the curve in the receiver operating graph was .572. CONCLUSION: cLPS is evidently liberated from the infected atherosclerotic tissue during an acute coronary event. Our study supports the view that inflammation caused by C. pneumoniae infection is an important but as yet poorly understood factor in the development of atherosclerosis and may play a role in acute vascular events.
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