Herpesvirus DNA (Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus) in circulating monocytes of patients with coronary artery disease.
BACKGROUND
The underlying mechanism of the chronic inflammatory process in atherosclerosis is still unknown. As a possible trigger, several studies in recent years have suggested that different viruses and bacteria are associated with atherosclerotic diseases.


METHODS
We applied polymerase chain reaction to analyse whether Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA could be detected in CD14 + cells from 184 patients with angiographically documented coronary artery disease (CAD) (74 patients with stable angina (SAP), 51 patients with unstable angina (UAP), and 59 patients with myocardial infarction (MI)) and from 52 healthy controls.


RESULTS
In two patients (one patient with SAP, one patient with UAP) with CAD and one healthy control, DNA from CMV was found (p = 0.469). HSV DNA was detected in one patient (SAP) but not in any controls (p = 0.644). EBV DNA was found in nine patients (three patients with SAP, one patient with UAP, five patients with MI), and two controls (p = 0.752).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data do not support the hypothesis that herpesvirus-infected monocytes are related to the incidence of human coronary atherosclerosis.
Schlitt
Axel
A
Department of Medicine II and Virology, and Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Johannes Gutenberg University, Germany. axelschlitt@gmx.net
Blankenberg
Stefan
S
Weise
Kerstin
K
Gärtner
Barbara C
BC
Mehrer
Torsten
T
Peetz
Dirk
D
Meyer
Juergen
J
Darius
Harald
H
Rupprecht
Hans J
HJ
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D001483:Base Sequence; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D004279:DNA, Viral