The Probable Role of Chlamydia pneumoniae Infection in Acute Stroke

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases are the most leading cause of worldwide mortality. According to USA statistics, about 1 of 6 cardiovascular deaths is due to stroke. Stroke is the second most common cause of death and a chief cause of disability due to EU data. Treatment, care providing, rehabilitation costs and with the labor loss, the overall cost in EU due to stroke was estimated about €45 billion in year 2017. Acute stroke due to infectious diseases via several possible mechanisms with various clinical presentations were previously reported in the literature. Chlamydia pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular bacteria and extremely common in adult individuals. Besides it being a major cause of pneumonia in adults, association between atherosclerosis and vascular diseases was demonstrated by several sero-epidemiological studies and by direct detection of organism in atherosclerotic lesions by electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction. Also, several sero-epidemiological studies have demonstrated a link between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and acute stroke. In this chapter, we will summarize the data in literature regarding the association between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and acute stroke and we will try to explain the possible mechanisms that could be responsible in pathophysiology of stroke in these patients.