Persistent systemic inflammation is considered to be predictive for future cardiovascular events. Here, in a patient with pyelonephritis of his failed renal allograft, consecutive coronary angiograms proved that coronary artery disease progressed within 3 weeks, when infection was uncontrolled.
A 52-year-old male type 2 diabetic with a failed renal allograft suffering from hematuria, leukocyturia, and chest pain at rest was hospitalized.
An acute coronary syndrome in presence of pyelonephritis was diagnosed. Besides pyelonephritis, the histological examination of the kidney transplant revealed signs of chronic rejection and the presence of a renal cell carcinoma in situ.
A percutaneous coronary intervention was performed, and an elective surgery for allograft removal was scheduled. However, within 5 weeks after discharge, two more surges of infection coincided with episodes of unstable angina.
Once the renal allograft has been removed, systemic inflammation was contained. The patient was not re-hospitalized for acute-coronary syndrome within the next 12 months.
Surges of systemic inflammation due to infection were paralleled by instability of coronary plaques as documented by repeat coronary angiograms.

Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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