title: Seropositivity to herpes simplex virus type 2, but not type 1 is associated with premature cardiovascular diseases: a population-based cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Thirty-five years after herpesviruses were suggested to induce atherosclerosis sero-epidemiological evidence on Herpes Simplex Viruses (HSV) remains sparse and controversial. We aimed to investigate the relationship between HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections and cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 14,415 participants (mean age 34.3 years, range 20-49) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2010. Serum IgG-antibodies to HSV were measured by enzymatic immunodot assay and CVD were self-reported. CVD prevalence was 1.8%; 51.3% of participants were infected with HSV-1, 7.5% with HSV-2, and 15.2% with both. After adjusting for demographics, socioeconomic status, comorbidities, STD, and CVD risk factors, seropositivity to HSV-2 was positively associated with CVD (Odds ratio [OR] 1.56, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-2.21, P = 0.014), but not with HSV-1 (OR 1.13, 95% CI: 0.79-1.62).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HSV-2 may be associated with premature CVD, but not HSV-1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, S161 CPHB, 105 River Street, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. Electronic address: angelico-mendy@uiowa.edu.
authors.forename: Angelico
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mendy
authors.forename: Edgar R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: Janvier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gasana
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G
keywords: Herpes simplex virus; Herpesvirus; NHANES; Premature cardiovascular diseases