Prevalence of CMV in arterial walls and leukocytes in patients with atherosclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association of cylomegalovirus with atherosclerosis.


METHODS
The presence of cylomegalovirus (CMV) nucleic acids was demonstrated in carotid and coronary arteries of patients with and without atherosclerosis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). CMV was detected by PCR in the blood of patients with and without atherosclerosis.


RESULTS
83.3%-86.7% of the samples obtained from atherosclerotic patient arterial walls were shown to contain viral nucleic acids (CMV), CMV could be found among 6.7% of patients' arterial wall without atherosclerosis, significant difference can be found between them (P < 0.01). In blood CMV could be found in 42.4% of patients with atherosclerosis, in the control group, only 3% of samples had CMV, P < 0.01.


CONCLUSIONS
CMV plays an important role in the pathologic process of the atherosclerosis and the atherosclerotic cerebral infarction.
Hu
W
W
Department of Neurology, Beijing Red Cross Chaoyang Hospital, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100020, China.
Liu
J
J
Niu
S
S
Liu
M
M
Shi
H
H
Wei
L
L
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001158:Arteries / Q000821:virology*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000821:virology*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence