Anti-cytomegalovirus antibodies and other atherosclerosis risk factors in patients with cardiovascular diseases

Objective To determine anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies along with anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP) antibodies in comparison with inflammatory markers and other risk factors of atherosclerosis in patients with selected cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Methods A total of 228 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and/or hypertension (HT), and those who underwent reconstructive vascular surgery (RVS) on carotids or abdominal aorta were tested for the presence of anti-CMV IgG and IgM antibodies as well as for anti-CP IgA antibodies, C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Other risk factors for atherosclerosis, namely age, gender, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes mellitus were also analyzed. Results Anti-CMV IgG antibodies were found in 204 patients sera (89.5%), compared with 46 positive of 68 sera in the controls (67.6%), whereas anti-CMV IgM antibodies were detected in 4 of 54 sera of patients tested (7.4%), but not in the controls. The highest proportion of positive sera with not only anti-CMV IgG antibodies (95.6.7%), but also anti-CP IgA antibodies (78.3%), IL-6 (84.8%) and CRP (97.8%), was observed in patients with RVS. The results obtained corresponded to age, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes. Conclusions The presence of anti-CMV antibodies together with antibodies to CP and markers of inflammation (CRP and IL-6) in our study was associated with CVD, primarily in elderly patients who underwent RVS.