ORIGINAL PAPER
Bacterial burden of the patients with coronary artery disease treated surgically with coronary artery bypass grafting

Background: Infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori and Mycoplasma pneumoniaeis taken into consideration as a factor influencing development of atherosclerosis.
Objective: The aim of the study was an assessment of infectious burden with selected bacterial microorganisms in the patients with advanced atherosclerotic process.
Material and methods: The study included 40 patients with three-vessels stable coronary arteries disease referred to the surgical revascularization. Plasma levels of IgG class antibodies anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae, anti-Helicobacter pylori and anti-Mycoplasma pneumoniaewere determined with the tests based on the ELISA technique (Enzyme linked Immunosorbent Assay).
Results: In the study group, plasma IgG class antibodies anti-Helicobacter pylori (n=35, f=0.875, p<0.05) and a combination of antibodies anti-Helicobacter pylori and anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae (n=17, f=0.81, p<0.001) were significantly more frequently detected in comparison with the other antibodies.
Conclusions: The results of the study may suggest a participation of bacterial factor in the atherosclerotic process developing in coronary arteries. In stable advanced three-vessels coronary arteries disease the infection with two kinds of pathogens was significantly more frequently detected. However, our findings did not allow to determine a role of bacterial infection in etiopathogenesis of atherosclerosis