HIV Infection and Coronary Arteries

The association between viral infection (cytomegalovirus or HIV-1 itself) and coro­nary artery lesions is not clear. HIV-1 sequences have been detected by in situ hybridization in the coronary vessels of an HIV-infected patient who died of acute myocardial infarction [49]. Potential mecha­nisms through which HIV-1 may damage coronary arteries include activation of cytokines and cell-adhesion molecules and alteration of major histocompatibility com­plex class I molecules on the surface of smooth muscle cells [49]. It is also possible that HIV-1-associated protein gp 120 may induce smooth muscle cell apoptosis through a mitochondrion-controlled path­way by activation of inflammatory cytokines (e.g., TNF-α) [47].