Relation of high cytomegalovirus antibody titres to blood pressure and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation in young men: the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

Abstract

SummaryHuman cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease in immunocompromised organ transplant patients. It has been linked with the pathogenesis of elevated arterial blood pressure. However, controversy exists as to whether CMV infection is associated with endothelial function, and little is known about its role as a potential risk factor for early atherosclerosis development at a young age. We aimed to discover if CMV antibody titres are associated with early vascular changes (carotid intima-media thickness, carotid artery distensibility and brachial artery flowmediated dilation), blood pressure elevation or other traditional cardiovascular risk factors. CMV antibody titres were measured in 1074 women and 857 men (aged 24-39 years) taking part in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study. CMV antibody titres were significantly higher in women compared to men. In men, high CMV antibody titres were associated directly with age (P < 0·001) and systolic (P = 0·053) and diastolic (P = 0·002) blood pressure elevation, and associated inversely with flow-mediated dilation (P = 0·014). In women, CMV antibody titres did not associate with any of the analysed parameters. In a multivariate regression model, which included traditional atherosclerotic risk factors, CMV antibody titres were independent determinants for systolic (P = 0·029) and diastolic (P = 0·004) blood pressure elevation and flow-mediated dilation (P = 0·014) in men. High CMV antibody titres are associated independently with blood pressure and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation in young men. This association supports the hypothesis that common CMV infection and/or an immune response to CMV may lead to impaired vascular function at a young age.

Vascular dysfunction in young, mid-aged and aged mice with latent cytomegalovirus infections

“…Active infections with HCMV, a ␤-Herpesviridae virus, are associated with tumorigenesis, transplant rejection, vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and restenosis, increased mortality, and hypertension (9,19,23,26,33,62,64). Our study shows for the first time that vascular dysfunction in mesenteric and uterine arteries from mice infected with mCMV occurs even after the active infection has progressed to the latent stage, in which infectious virus is undetectable.…”

“…and CMV infections (6,14,17,19,28,31) are associated with increased blood pressure, vascular stiffness, and vascular dysfunction. The systemic vasculature in aging may compensate for the combined insults of aging and infection with increased endothelium-dependent vasodilation, even in the presence of a latent, not active, mCMV infection (12).…”

“…In the human population, it infects 40 to 80% of individuals (10). Although in the general population it is thought to be mostly asymptomatic, infection has been associated with tumorigenesis, transplant rejection, vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and restenosis, and increased mortality and hypertension (9,19,23,26,33,62,64). The mechanisms whereby HCMV infections result in vasculopathy are still unclear.…”

“…Potential causes of reduced fertility before menopause include chromosomal abnormalities, hormonal imbalances, uterine and ovarian malformations, and hypertensive complications, all of which increase with age (21,51). Hypertensive complications, such as increased vascular resistance and decreased endotheliumdependent vasodilation, may be increased in HCMV-infected individuals (16,19).…”

Study the possible role of CMV and EBV infections to initiate high blood pressure in some groups of hypertensive Iraqi patients

“…Moreover, several viruses infections are implicated with hypertensive patients with high P-ISSN: 2222-8373 E-ISSN: 2518-9255 occurrence of atherosclerosis progression [2][3][4][5], like HIV-1 and human herpes virus in primary pulmonary hypertension cases [2-3-4]. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), It is a very common viruses within herpes family in men and women population.…”