TY - JOUR
T1 - In vitro infection of smooth muscle cells by Chlamydia pneumoniae
AU - Knoebel, Erin
AU - Vijayagopal, Parakat
AU - Figueroa, Julio E.
AU - Martin, David H.
PY - 1997/2
Y1 - 1997/2
N2 - Recent observations have shown that both Chlamydia pneumoniae antigens and DNA may be found within atherosclerotic lesions. In this study, we evaluated the ability of C. pneumoniae to infect cells that make up atherosclerotic lesions, including endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and cholesterol-loaded smooth muscle cells. The organism readily infected rabbit, bovine, and human aortic smooth muscle cells. Cholesterol-loaded smooth muscle cells were even more susceptible to C. pneumoniae infection. Chlamydia trachomatis inefficiently infected smooth muscle cells, demonstrating that this is not a characteristic of all members of the genus Chlamydia, C. pneumoniae infected bovine endothelial cells poorly. This study demonstrates that C. pneumoniae readily infects one of the important types of cells found within atherosclerotic lesions, i.e., smooth muscle cells with and without cholesterol loading.
AB - Recent observations have shown that both Chlamydia pneumoniae antigens and DNA may be found within atherosclerotic lesions. In this study, we evaluated the ability of C. pneumoniae to infect cells that make up atherosclerotic lesions, including endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and cholesterol-loaded smooth muscle cells. The organism readily infected rabbit, bovine, and human aortic smooth muscle cells. Cholesterol-loaded smooth muscle cells were even more susceptible to C. pneumoniae infection. Chlamydia trachomatis inefficiently infected smooth muscle cells, demonstrating that this is not a characteristic of all members of the genus Chlamydia, C. pneumoniae infected bovine endothelial cells poorly. This study demonstrates that C. pneumoniae readily infects one of the important types of cells found within atherosclerotic lesions, i.e., smooth muscle cells with and without cholesterol loading.
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U2 - 10.1128/iai.65.2.503-506.1997
DO - 10.1128/iai.65.2.503-506.1997
M3 - Article
C2 - 9009304
AN - SCOPUS:0031037908
SN - 0019-9567
VL - 65
SP - 503
EP - 506
JO - Infection and Immunity
JF - Infection and Immunity
IS - 2
ER -