Cytomegalovirus infection and atherogenesis.
BACKGROUND
Experimental studies and clinical observations indicate the importance of active CMV infection in the development of atherosclerosis. Our research constituted an attempt to evaluate the components of lipid metabolism (total cholesterol and its fractions, triglycerides) in children with active CMV infection.


METHODS
The research involved 45 children with active primary or secondary CMV infection. The diagnosis was established by measuring anti-CMV serum antibodies (IgM and IgG) using the Enzyme-Linked Fluorescent Assay (ELFA) technique, and by detecting CMV-DNA using the PCR technique. On the basis of diagnostic tests, the children were allocated to one of two groups. The first group of 15 children manifested primary active infection with CMV. The other group consisted of 30 children diagnosed with secondary active CMV infection.


RESULTS
In the first group, the mean values of the serum lipid profile were as follows: total cholesterol--142 +/- 32.9 mg/dl; HDL-cholesterol:-- 23.4 +/- 8.6 mg/dl; LDL-cholesterol--97.8 +/- 30.9 mg/dl; triglycerides--83 +/- 15.5 mg/dl. In the second group of children, the mean values of serum lipid profile were as follows: total cholesterol-- 142.5 +/- 44.2 mg/dl; HDL-cholesterol--21.4 +/- 10.8 mg/dl, LDL-cholesterol--87.1 +/- 35.3 mg/dl; triglycerides--101.7 +/- 31.2 mg/dl. In all these children, the values of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides conformed to published norms, while HDL-cholesterol was significantly below normal.


CONCLUSIONS
The results we obtained point to dyslipidemia in the course of active CMV infection, which may be of pathogenetic significance at any stage of atherogenesis.
Szkaradkiewicz
Andrzej
A
Department of Medical Microbiology, Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences, Wieniawskiego 3, 67-112 Poznań, Poland.
Bogaczyńska-Staniewicz
Joanna
J
Torliński
Lech
L
Wal
Marzena
M
D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol