Anti-cytomegalovirus antibody levels are associated with carotid atherosclerosis and inflammatory cytokine production in elderly Koreans

Background: Recent studies have implicated human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection as a possible etiological factor in cardiovascular disease. We assessed whether anti-HCMV antibody levels are associated with carotid atherosclerosis and inflammatory cytokine production in elderly Koreans. Methods: Participants (age, ≥. 65. years) were prospectively enrolled from September 2012 to July 2013 at a 2000-bed university hospital. During the study period, 71 participants (29 males) were prospectively enrolled, and thirty-five (49.3%) of these individuals were in the group designated as high intima-media thickness (IMT). Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed three independent risk factors of high IMT: higher levels of anti-HCMV antibody (odds ratio [OR] 1.04, p=0.003), Framingham score (OR 1.14, p=0.018), and levels of IL-1β (OR 2.96, p=0.013). Anti-HCMV antibody levels had a significantly positive correlation with max-IMT (r=0.523, p<0.001), free T₄ levels (r=0.315, p=0.021), and Log(TNF-α) (r=0.562, p<0.001) in multivariate correlation analysis. Conclusions: These findings may provide insight into the role of HCMV in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and chronic inflammation in elderly individuals.