This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 25/7/e113    most recent 01.ATV.0000170130.85334.38v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Olofsson, P.S. Articles by Sirsjö, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Olofsson, P.S. Articles by Sirsjö, A. Pubmed/NCBI databases Gene GEO Profiles HomoloGene Nucleotide Protein UniGene Substance via MeSH Medline Plus Health Information Carotid Artery Disease Cytomegalovirus Infections Vasculitis Related Collections Other Vascular biology Pathophysiology Gene expression Gene regulation

(Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2005;25:e113.)
© 2005 American Heart Association, Inc.

Atherosclerosis and Lipoproteins

The Antiviral Cytomegalovirus Inducible Gene 5/Viperin Is Expressed in Atherosclerosis and Regulated by Proinflammatory Agents

P.S. Olofsson; K. Jatta; D. Wågsäter; S. Gredmark; U. Hedin; G. Paulsson-Berne; C. Söderberg-Nauclér; G.K. Hansson; A. Sirsjö

From the Center for Molecular Medicine (P.S.O., S.G., G.P.-B., C.S.-N., G.K.H.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Biomedicine (K.J., D.W., A.S.), Department of Caring Sciences, University of Örebro, Sweden; and Department of Vascular Surgery (U.H.), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Correspondence to Peder S. Olofsson, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska Sjukhuset, 171 76 Stockholm, Sweden. E-mail Peder.Olofsson{at}cmm.ki.se

Objective— Inflammatory processes play an important role in atherosclerosis, and increasing evidence implies that microbial pathogens and proinflammatory cytokines are involved in the development and activation of atherosclerotic lesions. To find new inflammatory genes, we explored the vascular transcriptional response to an activator of innate immunity bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPSs).

Methods and Results— Gene arrays identified the cytomegalovirus-inducible gene 5 (cig5)/viperin among the genes most potently induced by LPS in human vascular biopsies. Viperin was expressed by endothelial cells in atherosclerotic arteries and significantly elevated in atherosclerotic compared with normal arteries. In culture, cytomegalovirus infection, interferon-, and LPS induced viperin expression.

Conclusion— Viperin is expressed in atherosclerosis and induced in vascular cells by inflammatory stimuli and cytomegalovirus infection. The putative functions of viperin in atherosclerosis may relate to disease-associated microbes.

We explored the vascular transcriptional response to inflammation. Gene arrays identified the cytomegalovirus-inducible gene 5 (cig5) among the most induced by LPS. Cig5 expression was high in atherosclerosis. We show that the cig5 protein is expressed in atherosclerotic arteries and strongly induced in vascular cells by pathogens and inflammatory stimuli.

Key Words: atherosclerosis • gene expression • cytomegalovirus • inflammation • viperin

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Smith, J. K. Damas, K. Otterdal, E. Oie, W. J. Sandberg, A. Yndestad, T. Waehre, H. Scholz, K. Endresen, P. S. Olofsson, et al. Increased Levels of Neutrophil-Activating Peptide-2 in Acute Coronary Syndromes: Possible Role of Platelet-Mediated Vascular Inflammation J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., October 17, 2006; 48(8): 1591 - 1599. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Brukman and L. W. Enquist Suppression of the interferon-mediated innate immune response by pseudorabies virus. J. Virol., July 1, 2006; 80(13): 6345 - 6356. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]