Detection of the human cytomegalovirus in intracranial atherosclerosis arteries / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To confirm the presence of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) antigen and DNA in intracranial arterial walls and the association of the virus with the development of atherosclerosis in patients with atherosclerotic cerebral infarction Methods The subjects of this study were divided into two groups, the atherosclerosis group and the control group All patients were autopsied within 12 hours after death During autopsy, samples from intracranial arteries were formalin fixed and paraffin embedded All sections were routinely stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and observed on the presence of atherosclerotic plaques The atherosclerosis group was subdivided into grade Ⅰ～Ⅱ group and grade Ⅲ～Ⅳ group according to the degrees of arterial lumen stenosis Only those vessel walls without signs of atheroma formation were included in the control group HCMV antigens and DNA were detected by immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) respectively The monoclonal antibody was against HCMV early (E) antigen Probes and primers were derived from major immediate early (MIE) genomic regions of cytomegalovirus strain AD169 As a positive control for the reactions, tissues from human small intestine membrane known to be positive for HCMV by H&E staining were used Results There were 18 of 35 atherosclerotic arteries defined as grade Ⅰ～Ⅱ atherosclerosis, and the rest were grade Ⅲ～Ⅳ The DNA of HCMV was found in 14/35 and 2/20 of arterial walls with atherosclerosis and negative control group by in situ hybridization, in 21/35 and 6/20 by PCR, and HCMV antigen in 12/35 and 2/20 by immunohistochemical studies respectively, and significant difference was be found among them ( P =0 018, P =0 032, P =0 047) There was also significant difference between grade Ⅲ～Ⅳ and grade Ⅰ～Ⅱ atherosclerosis by all the above three types of studies ( P =0 027, P =0 009, P =0 003) Conclusion Our results revealed that HCMV could be found in the atherosclerotic arterial walls, and it is suggested that the arterial walls might be the potential sites of existence of the virus We also postulate that there might be an association between the HCMV DNA and antigens in intracranial arterial walls and atherosclerotic plaques