The antiviral cytomegalovirus inducible gene 5/viperin is expressed in atherosclerosis and regulated by proinflammatory agents.
OBJECTIVE
Inflammatory processes play an important role in atherosclerosis, and increasing evidence implies that microbial pathogens and proinflammatory cytokines are involved in the development and activation of atherosclerotic lesions. To find new inflammatory genes, we explored the vascular transcriptional response to an activator of innate immunity bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPSs).


RESULTS
Gene arrays identified the cytomegalovirus-inducible gene 5 (cig5)/viperin among the genes most potently induced by LPS in human vascular biopsies. Viperin was expressed by endothelial cells in atherosclerotic arteries and significantly elevated in atherosclerotic compared with normal arteries. In culture, cytomegalovirus infection, interferon-gamma, and LPS induced viperin expression.


CONCLUSIONS
Viperin is expressed in atherosclerosis and induced in vascular cells by inflammatory stimuli and cytomegalovirus infection. The putative functions of viperin in atherosclerosis may relate to disease-associated microbes.
Olofsson
P S
PS
Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Peder.Olofsson@cmm.ki.se
Jatta
K
K
Wågsäter
D
D
Gredmark
S
S
Hedin
U
U
Paulsson-Berne
G
G
Söderberg-Nauclér
C
C
Hansson
G K
GK
Sirsjö
A
A
D000818:Animals; D001057:Apolipoproteins E / Q000235:genetics; D001706:Biopsy; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000166:cytology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D044925:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000473:pathology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000090123:Viperin Protein
D001057:Apolipoproteins E; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D044925:Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors; D011506:Proteins; C444427:RSAD2 protein, human; D000090123:Viperin Protein