Table 3 Distribution of Mcycoplasma pneumoniae DNA in atherosclerotic plaques of the carotid arteries and in saphenous veins obtained from patients whose leucocytes tested either positive or negative for the presence of M pneumoniae‐specific DNA as determined by PCR.

	Atherosclerotic plaques pos*		Atherosclerotic plaques neg†
	Veins pos, n (%)	Veins neg, n (%)	Veins pos, n (%)	Veins neg, n (%)
Leucocytes pos (n = 27)	4 (15)	6 (22)	3 (11)	14 (52)
Leucocytes neg (n = 9)	1 (11)	2 (22)	1 (11)	5 (56)

neg, negative; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; pos, positive.

*Tested positive for the presence of M pneumoniae‐specific DNA by PCR.

†Tested negative for the presence of M pneumoniae‐specific DNA by PCR.