Cardiovascular Pathology
Volume 9, Issue 3 , Pages 181-183, May 2000

Atherosclerosis of the Carotid Artery:

Absence of Evidence for CMV Involvement in Atheroma Formation

Department of Pathology, Medical School, The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

Received 7 March 2000; received in revised form 12 May 2000; accepted 17 May 2000.

Abstract 

Several studies suggest that certain viral and bacterial pathogens may contribute to the process of atherogenesis. However, this relation between infectious agents and atherosclerosis has not yet been established with certainty. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of CMV in carotid endarterectomies from 40 patients suffering from atherosclerosis using immunohistochemistry and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). None of the specimens examined gave a positive result, indicating absence of CMV particles or CMV DNA sequences in the walls of carotid arteries. This finding suggests it is possible that CMV infection may not play a major role in the formation of atheroma. Therefore, further investigation is required in order to clarify the etiology of atherosclerosis.

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PII: S1054-8807(00)00040-5

Cardiovascular Pathology
Volume 9, Issue 3 , Pages 181-183, May 2000

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