Chlamydia pneumoniae Induces Chemokine Expression by Platelets in Patients with Atherosclerosis

Objective: In this study, the role of Chlamydia pneumoniae in triggering platelets to induce the inflammatory potential chemokines CCL3, CCL5, CCL7 and CXCL8 in atherosclerotic patients was investigated. Subjects and Methods: Venous blood from control subjects (n = 35) and atherosclerotic patients (n = 35) was collected in tubes with and without EDTA. Platelets from controls and patients were separated from whole blood and then stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), live C. pneumoniae and heat-treated C. pneumoniae. The ability of C. pneumoniae and its LPS to stimulate platelets and expression of CCL3, CCL5, CCL7 and CXCL8 was assessed with immunofluorescence. Immunosorbent assays were used to detect anti-C. pneumoniae antibodies in sera from patients and healthy subjects. Results: Nonstimulated platelets from patients showed significant expression of CCL3, CCL5, CCL7 and CXCL8 compared to controls (p 0.0001). Stimulation of platelets from patients with live and heat-treated C. pneumoniae and its LPS demonstrated significant induction of chemokines compared to similarly stimulated platelets from controls (p 0.01). After stimulation with heat-treated C. pneumoniae chemokine expression in platelets from controls was significantly lower than after stimulation with live C. pneumoniae (p 0.01), which was not the case when platelets from patients were stimulated. Increased levels of anti-C. pneumoniae antibodies were detected in sera from patients compared to healthy subjects, suggesting prior C. pneumoniae exposure. Conclusion: Our data demonstrated an interactive link between C. pneumoniae and platelets in atherosclerotic patients, leading to induction of potential chemokines and possibly disease development.