Are the high levels of cytomegalovirus antibodies a determinant in the development of coronary artery disease?

In several epidemiological studies, it was suggested that a high titer of cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibody meant CMV reactivation. and that this condition was a determinant of coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to investigate both the prevalence of the CMV infections in our study population and whether high CMV seropositivity is a determinant of CAD. Blood samples from 179 (58 female, 121 male) individuals being evaluated for CAD suspicion by coronary angiography were tested for CMV seropositivity and CRP levels. Fifty-six patients had normal coronary arteries and 123 patients had CAD. Six patients did not have anti-CMV antibodies and 87 of the 173 seropositive patients had high levels of anti-CMV antibodies (>= 8 U/mL). High CMV seropositivity (>= 8 U/mL) was a significant CAD determinant even after adjustment for traditional CAD risk factors (odds ratio {OR} = 2.1 P = 0.04, respectively). The results indicate that the prevalence of high CMV seropositivity is all independent predictor of CAD in our study population and that our study population with CAD had a high rate of CMV infection