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Infection and Immunity, November 1999, p. 6145-6151, Vol. 67, No. 11
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Chlamydia trachomatis (Mouse Pneumonitis Strain) Induces Cardiovascular Pathology following Respiratory Tract Infection

Yijun Fan, Shuhe Wang, and Xi Yang*

Laboratory for Infection and Immunity, Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3E OW3

Received 26 June 1999/Returned for modification 28 July 1999/Accepted 12 August 1999

Chlamydia, especially Chlamydia pneumoniae, infection is closely associated with human cardiovascular diseases. Thus far, however, few experimental studies have been carried out to investigate whether natural C. trachomatis infection can induce cardiovascular pathological changes. In this article, we report that pulmonary infection with C. trachomatis mouse pneumonitis strain (MoPn) can induce myocardial and perivascular inflammation and fibrosis in C57BL/6 mice. The pulmonary MoPn infection appeared to be disseminated systemically, because chlamydial antigens were readily detectable in multiple organs including the cardiovascular tissues. In addition, gamma interferon gene knockout mice with a C57BL/6 genetic background showed significant endocarditis and pancarditis characterized by vegetation in aortic valves, interstitial and pericardial inflammatory cellular infiltration, and growth of the organisms in the heart following respiratory tract MoPn infection. The results indicate that C. trachomatis can induce cardiovascular diseases following respiratory tract infection and suggest that murine MoPn respiratory tract infection may be a useful experimental model for investigating cardiovascular diseases caused by chlamydial infection.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Laboratory for Infection and Immunity, Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Room 523, 730 William Ave., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3E OW3. Phone: (204) 789-3481. Fax: (204) 789-3926. E-mail: yangxi{at}cc.umanitoba.ca.

Infection and Immunity, November 1999, p. 6145-6151, Vol. 67, No. 11
0019-9567/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

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