Detection of human cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus in coronary atherosclerotic tissue

• Main Authors: Ana Vitória Imbronito, Silvia Linardi Marcelino, Sabrina Rosa Grande, Fabio Daumas Nunes, Giuseppe Alexandre Romito
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia 2010-10-01
• Series: Brazilian Journal of Microbiology
• Subjects: atherosclerosis; cytomegalovirus; Epstein-Barr virus
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1517-83822010000300004

Previous studies indicated that patients with atherosclerosis are predominantly infected by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), but rarely infected by type 1 Epstein-Barr virus (EBV-1). In this study, atheromas of 30 patients who underwent aortocoronary bypass surgery with coronary endartherectomy were tested for the presence of these two viruses. HCMV occurred in 93.3% of the samples and EBV-1 was present in 50% of them. Concurrent presence of both pathogens was detected in 43.3% of the samples.