A Review of the Association Between Coronary Artery Disease and Infection

Atherosclerotic involvement of the coronary arteries and its association with various inflammatory processes such as chronic inflammation-repair cascades have long been considered. There has been a growing body of evidence regarding the role of certain inflammatory pathways in the development of atherosclerosis in humans. The causal relationship between infection and coronary artery disease has drawn less attention. A number of infectious agents including chlamydia pneumoniae, helicobacter pylori, herpes simplex virus, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) have increasingly been reported as having significant causal relationships with the development and severity of coronary artery disease. Despite experimental and autopsy studies of the association between infection and certain microorganisms and atherosclerosis, it is still unclear whether infectious etiology plays a crucial role in the development of coronary artery disease. Current data particularly indicate the causal relationship of C. pneumoniae with atherosclerosis and there has also been convincing evidence that H. pylori and herpesviruses may be responsible for disease progression or severity.