Chlamydia pneumoniae, herpes simplex virus type 1, and cytomegalovirus and incident myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease death in older adults : the Cardiovascular Health Study.
BACKGROUND
Whether serological evidence of prior infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) is associated with myocardial infarction (MI) and coronary heart disease (CHD) death remains a source of controversy.


RESULTS
We conducted a nested case-control study among participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study, a cohort study of persons aged >/=65 years. Cases experienced an incident MI and CHD death (n=213). Control subjects were matched to cases by age, sex, clinic, year of enrollment, and month of blood draw (n=405). Serum was analyzed for IgG antibodies to C pneumoniae, HSV-1, and CMV. After adjustment for other risk factors, the risk of MI and CHD death was associated with the presence of IgG antibodies to HSV-1 (odds ratio [OR] 2.0, 95% CI 1.1 to 3.6) but was not associated with the presence of IgG antibodies to either C pneumoniae (OR 1.1, 95% CI 0.7 to 1.8) or CMV (OR 1.2, 95% CI 0.7 to 1.9). Although there was little association with low to moderate C pneumoniae antibody titers (</=1:512), high-titer (1:1024) C pneumoniae antibody was associated with an increased risk (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.1 to 4.4).


CONCLUSIONS
Among older adults, the presence of IgG antibodies to HSV-1 was associated with a 2-fold increase in the risk of incident MI and CHD death. For C pneumoniae, only high-titer IgG antibodies were associated with an increased risk of MI and CHD death. The presence of IgG antibodies to CMV was not associated with risk among the elderly.
Siscovick
D S
DS
Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
Schwartz
S M
SM
Corey
L
L
Grayston
J T
JT
Ashley
R
R
Wang
S P
SP
Psaty
B M
BM
Tracy
R P
RP
Kuller
L H
LH
Kronmal
R A
RA
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000821:virology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000821:virology; D012307:Risk Factors
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G