Cytomegalovirus activation is associated with endothelial function in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Abstract

Aim: It is well established that both inflammation and endothelial dysfunction play a significant role in atherosclerotic plaque destabilization and development of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In spite of numerous studies, identification of infectious agents that may trigger these processes remains controversial, presumably due to the latency of most of the infections found in patients with atherosclerosis. Therefore, the objective of our work was to analyze the effect of productive infection of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) on endothelial function in patients with AMI.