Identification of the Atheroma Germ

Abstract

Now here was a major problem. Who was going to believe the story? There had to be some type of confirmatory evidence, and fairly convincing evidence at that, if anyone was to take the concept of atheroma containing Chlamydia germs seriously. Everyone accepts that the structures which make up atheroma are inert lipid droplets. They even call it a lipid-rich pool. Any suggestion of a germ would be seen as a major heretical deviation in the accepted knowledge of the disease. Introducing such a new concept is not an easy task. Not only would it be necessary to prove that the lipid of atheroma is in fact a Chlamydia germ, but also the exact Chlamydia species or strain would have to be identified. For precise identification, microbiologists rely on methods such as culture, immunocytochemistry, and genetic studies, in addition to morphology.