Cytomegalovirus exacerbates atherosclerosis through an autoimmune mechanismMay 30, 2007A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Verona and the Institute G. Gaslini in Genova, Italy, confirms the pivotal role played by Cytomegalovirus infection in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the main cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Classic risk factors including smoking, diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol levels are known to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the disease that also recognises a genetic influence. However, it is well known that acute cardiovascular events may happen without the presence of the mentioned common risk factors. Recently inflammation and infectious agents have been shown to play an important role in the onset of acute cardiovascular events. The online, open-access PLoS ONE publishes a new study on the relationship between Cytomegalovirus infection and atherosclerosis, conducted by Prof. Roberto Corrocher and Claudio Lunardi from the University of Verona and by Prof. Antonio Puccetti from the Institute G. Gaslini in Genova, Italy. The same researchers have already shown that Cytomegalovirus infection can be responsible of the initial vascular lesions typical of the atherosclerotic process. The mechanism involved in the vascular lesion is of autoimmune origin: antibodies directed against particular proteins of the virus are able to bind molecules expressed on the surface of the cells that line the arterial walls (endothelial cells) and to cause their death (apoptosis) through a mechanism called "molecular mimicry." Using a biocomputational technique, the new study shows that the same anti-Cytomegalovirus antibodies, isolated from patients with coronary artery disease, are able to induce the activation not only of genes involved in apoptosis but also of many other genes that encode for proteins involved in different aspects of the atherosclerotic process (lipid metabolism, inflammation, adhesion molecules, etc.). For the first time, the study shows that one of these proteins is very important because of its ability to activate cells of the innate immune system involved in the initial phases of the disease. This new study therefore confirms that antibodies directed against Cytomegalovirus-derived proteins purified from patients with coronary artery disease induce endothelial cells damage and support the hypothesis that virus infection plays a crucial role in mediating the atherosclerotic process. Moreover, these findings contribute to the design of novel preventive and therapeutic strategies. Public Library of Science |
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| Related Cytomegalovirus Current Events and Cytomegalovirus News Articles Exposure to several common infections over time may be associated with risk of stroke Cumulative exposure to five common infection-causing pathogens may be associated with an increased risk of stroke, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the January 2010 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The bowels of infection Current research suggests that latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection may exacerbate inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The related report by Onyeagocha et al, "Latent cytomegalovirus infection exacerbates experimental colitis," appears in the November 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology. Study reveals how a common virus eludes the immune system Viruses have numerous tricks for dodging the immune system. In the September 7, 2009 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology, Stagg et al. reveal a key detail in one of these stratagems, identifying a protein that enables cyto¬megalovirus to shut down an antiviral defense (online August 31). UCSF researchers identify new drug target for Kaposi's Sarcoma UCSF researchers have identified a new potential drug target for the herpes virus that causes Kaposi's sarcoma, re-opening the possibility of using the class of drugs called protease inhibitors against the full herpes family of viruses, which for 20 years has been deemed too difficult to attain. 3 studies confirm the value of etanercept therapy in treating juvenile idiopathic arthritis Three new studies have individually shown the anti-TNF (tumour necrosis factor) therapy etanercept to be effective, with a good safety profile, in children under four years of age with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Study indicates that a common virus could cause high blood pressure A new study suggests for the first time that cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common viral infection affecting between 60 and 99 percent of adults worldwide, is a cause of high blood pressure, a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. First evidence for DNA-based vaccination against chronic hepatitis C The first-proof-of-concept for a DNA-based therapeutic vaccination against chronic hepatitis C was announced today at EASL 2009, the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver in Copenhagen, Denmark. OHSU vaccine research targets HIV in the slower, early stage of infection New research at Oregon Health & Science University's Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute suggests vaccines that specifically target HIV in the initial stages of infection before it becomes a rapidly replicating, system-wide infection - may be a successful approach in limiting the spread of the disease. Poor people suffer disproportionately from chronic infections Kids from low-income families are much more likely to suffer from serious infections such as herpes or hepatitis A than their counterparts in wealthier households. Nature Medicine study shows Peregrine's bavituximab can cure lethal virus infections Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PPHM) today reported publication of data in Nature Medicine that supports the broad anti-viral potential of the company's novel anti-phosphatidylserine (anti-PS) antibody platform, showing that its PS-targeting drug bavituximab can cure lethal virus infections in animal disease models. More Cytomegalovirus Current Events and Cytomegalovirus News Articles |
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