Cytomegalovirus infection as a risk factor for atherosclerosis in CKD patients on regular haemodialysis

Background: CMV is a common infection in chronic hemodialysis patients. CMV positive patients are more likely to havecarotid atherosclerosis plaques as compared with CMV negative individuals. Carotid ultrasonography (US) is one of the most used imagingtechniques for the assessment of atherosclerosis, and it is increasingly applied in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and in chronic kidney disease (CKD) in general.Aim of the work: Is to assess the association CMV seropositivity, dyslipidemia, carotid artery plaques and media intima thickening measured by duppler US in hemodialysis patients.Subjects and methods:The present study included 60 patients with CKD on regularHemodialysis with ages ranged between 20-65 years who wereselected from Hemo-Dialysis unit in Tanta university hospital. All subjects were subjected to full medical history taking andthorough physical examination, complete blood picture, fastingblood glucose, lipid profile (Triglycerides, totalcholesterol, HDL, LDL), Serum calcium, serum phosphorus, CRP, CMV IgG and Duplex on both Carotidarteries with measurement of intima media thickness.Results: The prevalence of atherosclerosis in CMV positive andnegative patients undergoing hemodialysis is not influenced bymany factors that were taken into consideration as follow (p value>0.05) : sex, age, and body mass index, systolic and diastolic bloodpressure., Also there was no significant change in FBS, CRP, Serum phosphorus and ionized calcium (p value >0.05) among CMV positive compared to CMV negativepatients undergoing hemodialysis.The study also showed that there was significant increase inatherosclerosis among CMV positive compared to CMV negativepatients undergoing hemodialysis as proved by Carotid Duplexthrough measuring IMT and presence of atherosclerotic plaques.Conclusion: This study concluded that there’s significant increase in atherosclerosis as proved by CarotidDuplex through measuring IMT and presence of atherosclerotic plaques in CMV positive compared to CMV negative patientsundergoing hemodialysis.