Roxithromycin in Prevention of Acute Coronary Syn- drome Associated with Chlamydia pneumoniae Infec- tion: A Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial
WATTANA LEOWATTANA,M.D.*, KIEARTUAI BHURIPANYO, M.D.**, LILY SINGHA VIRANON, M.D.**, SURANK AKANIROJ, M.Sc.** NITHI MAHANONDA, M.D.**, MANOON SAMRANTHIN, M.D.**, SASIKANT POKUM, B.Sc.*,
Affiliation : * Department of Clinical Pathology, ** Her Majesty Cardiac Center, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand.
The role of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in precipitating acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is unclear. Some studies have indicated that intervention with macrolide antibiotics might reduce coronary events in patients with ACS. A double blind, randomized, placebo-control trial was conducted on 84 ACS patients. Patients were randomized to 30 days of treatment with roxi- thromycin (150 mg, twice daily) or matching placebo. The follow-up period was 90 days, and the primary clinical end point included cardiovascular death, unplanned revascularization and recurrent angina/MI. Anti-C. pneumoniae lgG positive in 24 of 43 (55.8%) patients in the roxithromycin group and 23 of 41 (56.1 %) patients in the placebo group. Anti-C. pneumoniae IgA positive in 20 of 43 (46.5%) patients in the roxithromycin group and 13 of 41 (31.7%) patients in the placebo group. Thirty-three cardiac events occurred (2 cardiovascular deaths, 9 CABO, 12 PTCA and 10 recurrent angina/MI) with 17 events in the roxithromycin group and 16 events in the placebo group. There was no significant difference of cardiac events between the roxithromycin and placebo groups. The present study suggests that antibiotic therapy with roxithromycin is not associated with reduction of cardiac events as reported by other investigators. However, therapeutic inter- ventions may need to be specifically targeted to a group of patients who are confirmed with chronic C. pneumoniae infection.
Keywords : Chlamydia pneumoniae, Randomized Placebo Control, Roxithromycin, Acute Coro- nary Syndrome
