Isolation and continuous growth of Chlamydia pneumoniae from arterectomy specimens

For the purpose of collecting Chlamydia pneumoniae strains of vascular orig in that could be grown continuously in vitro, a cell culture system has bee n established. Using different types of vascular specimens obtained from 38 patients, Chlamydia pneumoniae could be isolated in three (7.9%) cases. Th e strains were obtained from specimens of the carotid artery, the femoral a rtery and an infrarenal aneurysm of the abdominal aorta of three male ather osclerosis patients. Thus, viable Chlamydia pneumoniae strains are also pre sent in vascular regions other than those hitherto described.