Infection and temporal arteritis: A PCR‐based study to detect pathogens in temporal artery biopsy specimens

Abstract

The possibility of infectious triggers stimulating the development of inflammatory vascular diseases has generated much recent interest. This study uses PCR to detect the presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae, parvovirus B19 and all the human herpes viruses except HHV8 in temporal artery biopsy specimens. Samples from 37 temporal artery biopsies with histological evidence of arteritis and 66 samples from histologically negative temporal artery biopsies, all from different patients, were negative for C. pneumoniae, HSV, VZV, EBV, and HHV7 DNA. Two of the 37 histologically positive specimens were positive for HHV6, another two for CMV and a further two for parvovirus B19 DNA. Parvovirus B19 DNA was also detected in five histologically negative biopsies, one positive for HCMV DNA and a further one was positive for HHV6 DNA. There is no statistically significant difference to the presence of virus DNA in the two types of specimens (P = 0.538). This study does not support a role for C. pneumoniae, parvovirus B19 or human herpes viruses in the pathogenesis of temporal arteritis.

Pathogenesis of Chlamydia pneumonia Persistent Illnesses in Autoimmune Diseases

“…Analyses showed that all 90 patients were confirmed to have met the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for TA [51]. The results of this study and study of Cooper et al [15] do not support a role for C. pneumoniae in the pathogenesis of TA.…”

“…Although the majority of these studies initially focused on coronary heart disease [10,15,16]. More recent evidence also supports an association with stroke [14].…”

Vasculitis related to viral and other microbial agents

“…However, other larger studies have not corroborated this initial observation [135,136], with a similar frequency of PVB19 DNA localization found in arterial surgical specimens obtained from age-matched controls with atherosclerotic carotid/aortic disease [136]. An association of PVB19 with KD remains uncertain [137].…”

Polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis

“…Several studies using polymerase chain reaction to detect the presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae, parvovirus B19, and several of the human herpes viruses in TAB specimens have yielded negative results. 26,27 Some still hypothesize the existence of a triggering antigen of unknown nature activating T-cells in the artery wall, following an immune response to infection. 28 Evidence in favor of this is a dual peak in cases of PMR and GCA in association with seasonal variation in Danish respiratory infections (specifically Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Parvovirus B19, and Chlamydia pneumoniae).…”