Enterovirus in arteriosclerosis: a pilot study.
BACKGROUND
Various pathogens have been suspected to play a role in the initiation or amplification of the atherosclerotic lesions. Both experimental and epidemiological arguments plead for a possible role of enterovirus in this process.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of enterovirus genome in atherosclerotic plaques, in comparison with Chlamydia pneumoniae, human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) and herpes simplex virus.


METHODS
Pilot study on 18 patients who underwent artery resection. Five artery samples were tested for each patient and each pathogen by using PCR techniques whose sensitivity was evaluated for this kind of specimen. The quality of the extraction step was assessed by amplification of a fragment of the human aldolase A gene.


RESULTS
The genome of at least one infectious agent was detected in artery samples from 7 of the 18 patients (38.9%). In all cases, only one of the five aliquots was found positive; a confirmation was done by sequencing the PCR product. With regards to enterovirus, four patients (22.2%) were detected positive (one of them being also positive for hCMV).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that small amounts of enterovirus genome are commonly found in lesions of patients with advanced arteriosclerosis. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical significance of this association.
Schanen
Cécile
C
Laboratory of Bacteriology-Virology, GIMAP, Faculty of Medicine of Saint-Etienne, France.
Nasri
Dorsaf
D
Bourlet
Thomas
T
Barral
Xavier
X
Favre
Jean-Pierre
JP
Bourrat
Didier
D
Péoc'h
Michel
M
Ginevra
Christophe
C
Andréoletti
Laurent
L
Pozzetto
Bruno
B
Pillet
Sylvie
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D016993:Chlamydophila pneumoniae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification