Active cytomegalovirus replication in patients with coronary disease.
OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of active cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in patients with stable and unstable conditions of coronary artery disease (CAD).


METHODS
Forty patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), 50 patients with stable angina and angiographically verified CAD (SA) and 50 clinically healthy controls were included. Monocytes were isolated from peripheral blood and CMV-RNA expression was determined by a nested RT-PCR assay. CMV IgM and IgG antibodies, interleukin-(IL)-6, IL-10 and CRP were measured in serum.


RESULTS
The prevalence of active CMV infection was significantly higher in patients with ACS (15%) and in patients with SA (10%) compared with controls (2%) (p<0.001). The presence of an active CMV infection was associated with increased serum concentrations of IL-6.


CONCLUSIONS
Active CMV infection was found to a larger extent in CAD patients than in healthy controls. The data indicate that CAD patients are more susceptible to reactivation of CMV and put new focus on the role of CMV in atherosclerosis.
Department of Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Sara
S
Gredmark
Lena
L
Jonasson
Djoke
D
Van Gosliga
Jan
J
Ernerudh
Cecilia
C
Söderberg-Nauclér
D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000821:virology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000821:virology; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014779:Virus Replication
D015850:Interleukin-6; D012367:RNA, Viral; D002097:C-Reactive Protein