The association between chlamydia pneumoniae and metabolic syndrome in Taiwanese adults

OBJECTIVE:: Both Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cp) seropositivity and metabolic syndrome (MeS) have been identified as risk factors for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but the association between Cp seropositivity and MeS has not been extensively studied. BACKGROUND:: We recruited participants from Taiwanese adults who received an annual health examination at a medical facility. We measured anti-Cp IgG antibodies (Cp-IgG) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and defined Cp-IgG seropositivity using 20 RU/mL as the cutoff point. RESULTS:: In the 3633 study participants, the overall Cp-IgG seropositive rate was 45.5%. Male gender, older age, white collar jobs, smoking, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension were associated with a higher Cp-IgG seropositive rate (P<0.05). Participants with MeS had a higher Cp-IgG seropositive rate (62.8% vs. 37.2%, P <0.001). Multiple logistic regression revealed that positive Cp-IgG (odds ratio [OR]=1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-1.9), male gender (OR=5.0, 95% CI: 3.3-7.6) and older age(OR=2.6, 95% CI: 1.1-6.1 for age ≥ 40 years old) were independent predictors for MeS. CONCLUSION:: There is a positive association between Cp seropositivity and MeS, which supports the role of infection in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and CVD.