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Title: Could Heart Attacks Be Triggered By Infections?

Link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/09/13/1...

Finland's second-largest university has announced new research suggesting
that heart attacks could be an infectious disease. [T]he research found that,
in coronary artery disease, atherosclerotic plaques containing cholesterol
may harbor a gelatinous, asymptomatic biofilm formed by bacteria over years
or even decades. Dormant bacteria within the biofilm remain shielded from
both the patient's immune system and antibiotics because they cannot
penetrate the biofilm matrix. A viral infection or another external trigger
may activate the biofilm, leading to the proliferation of bacteria and an
inflammatory response. The inflammation can cause a rupture in the fibrous
cap of the plaque, resulting in thrombus [blood clot] formation and
ultimately myocardial infarction... "Bacterial involvement in coronary artery
disease has long been suspected, but direct and convincing evidence has been
lacking," explains professor Pekka Karhunen [who led the study with
researchers from the UK and Finland]. "Our study demonstrated the presence of
genetic material - DNA - from several oral bacteria inside atherosclerotic
plaques." The findings were validated by developing an antibody targeted at
the discovered bacteria, which unexpectedly revealed biofilm structures in
arterial tissue. Bacteria released from the biofilm were observed in cases of
myocardial infarction. The body's immune system had responded to these
bacteria, triggering inflammation which ruptured the cholesterol-laden
plaque. The observations pave the way for the development of novel diagnostic
and therapeutic strategies for myocardial infarction. Furthermore, they
advance the possibility of preventing coronary artery disease and myocardial
infarction by vaccination. "The research is part of an extensive EU-funded
cardiovascular research project involving 11 countries..."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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