The Association of Chlamydia Pneumoniae IgG Seropositivity with an Atherogenic Lipid Profile in a General Population: The Persian Gulf Healthy Heart Study

Regarding the controversial contributory role of chronic Chlamydia pneumonia infection in an atherogenic lipid profile and limited studies in women, we investigated the independent association of C. pneumoniae IgG seropositivity with an atherogenic lipid profile in a large-scale, community-based study. Sera of 1754 participants of the Persian Gulf Healthy Heart Study, a cohort study of men and women aged ≥25 years, were evaluated for IgG antibodies against C. pneumoniae and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were measured using enzymatic methods. A total of 714 (40.7%) subjects (45.7% of the men and 35.8% of the women; p < 0.0001) had IgG antibodies against C. pneumoniae. In multiple logistic regression analyses, age- and sex-adjusted C. pneumoniae infection did not show a significant association with high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high triglyceride. However, C. pneumoniae IgG seropositivity showed significant association with low HDL-C after controlling for age, sex, body mass index, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, smoking status, and circulating hsCRP levels (odds ratio = 2.12; 95% confidence interval = 1.72–2.62, p < 0.0001).in conclusion, there was a strong association between C. pneumoniae IgG seropositivity and low HDL-C. This association was independent of classical cardiovascular risk factors and circulating hsCRP levels in both men and women.