DETECTION OF ACTIVE CYTOMEGALOVIRUS-INFECTION IN INFLAMMATORY AORTIC-ANEURYSMS WITH RNA-POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

Purpose: We previously reported the possible role of human cytomegalov irus in the pathogenesis of inflammatory aortic diseases. To further a nalyze the viral cause of human aortic diseases, in this study we exam ined the presence and the replication of human Herpesviridae in 60 aor tic tissues, including 7 inflammatory aneurysms, 37 atherosclerotic an eurysms, and 16 normal aortas. Methods: To detect the genome of herpes simplex virus (type 1, type 2), cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr vir us, DNA polymerase chain reaction for each virus was performed. To ana lyze these herpesviral replications, the viral transcript was detected with RNA polymerase chain reaction. Results: The DNA polymerase chain reaction showed that either herpes simplex virus or cytomegalovirus w as present more frequently in inflammatory (29% or 86%, respectively) and atherosclerotic aneurysms (27% or 65%, respectively) than in norma l aortic tissues (6% or 31%, respectively), whereas the Epstein-Barr v iral genome was not detected in any aortic tissue specimens. By the us e of RNA polymerase chain reaction, only the cytomegaloviral transcrip t was recognized in 71% of the inflammatory aneurysms but was not reco gnized in any other tissue specimens. No other herpesviral transcripts were detected in any tissue specimens examined in this study. Conclus ions: Our results thus suggest that the human herpesviruses may play v arious roles in the pathogenicity of aortic diseases, in particular th e replicating infections of the cytomegalovirus might potentially caus e the formation of inflammatory aneurysms.