CYTOMEGALOVIRUS HERPESVIRUS AND CAROTID ATHEROSCLEROSIS - THE ARIC STUDY

Ubiquitous viruses such as members of the human herpes virus group, pa rticularly cytomegalovirus (CMV), have been proposed to be clinically important agents in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. Antibodies to CMV and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) and type 2 ( HSV2) were determined in 340 matched case-control pairs from the Ather osclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Cases were defined by B-m ode ultrasonography as persons with thickened carotid artery walls con sistent with early atherosclerosis but without a history of cardiovasc ular disease. Controls were defined as persons without thickened walls or history of cardiovascular disease. The case-control odds ratio for CMV antibodies was 1.55 (P=.03), for HSV 1.41 (P=.07), and for HSV2 0 .91 (P=.63). When adjustment was made for potential confounders, the o dds ratios were 1.36 for CMV (P=.24), 1.21 for HSV1 (P=.45), and 0.61 (P=.05) for HSV2. These results suggest a modest association between C MV and asymptomatic carotid wall thickening consistent with early athe rosclerosis.