No detectable Chlamydia pneumoniae and cytomegalovirus DNA in leukocytes in subjects with echolucent and echogenic carotid artery plaques.

IgG seropositivity was frequent in all three groups, confirming previous exposure, but C. pneumoniae DNA or cytomegalovirus DNA was not detected in a single PBMC sample by means of probe-based, highly sensitive, and specific real-time PCR assays. Our results indicate that persistent C. pneumoniae or CMV infection is not a common phenomenon in subjects with carotid atherosclerosis.