Cytomegalovirus and Immunological Aging: The Real Driver of HIV and Heart Disease?

Abstract

HIV Study, Parrinello et al. [7] found that higher CMV immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels were not associated with markers of subclinical atherosclerosis among HIV-uninfected women, suggesting that increased antibody levels did not increase the risk of atherosclerosis in their HIV-uninfected subsample. In contrast, HIV-positive women with increased CMV IgG levels were more likely to have carotid artery stiffness. These same individuals did not show greater intima-media thickness nor presence of carotid lesions, indicating that the relationship between CMV IgG levels and markers of cardiovascular disease was specific for carotid artery stiffness in HIV-positive subjects. The relation between increased CMV IgG levels and carotid artery stiffness was consistentacrosstreated/aviremic,treated/ viremic, and untreated HIV-infected groups. However, when examining the association between CMV IgG levels and presence of carotid lesions by treatment/ viremia status groups, Parrinello and colleagues found that CMV IgG levels were associated with presence of carotid artery lesions only among HIV-infected persons who were receiving antiretroviral treatment and were aviremic, after adjustment for age, race, and smoking history. These results suggest that treatment/viremia status modifies the impact of CMV IgG level on carotid lesions.