BACKGROUND: At present, whether human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is debatable. The effect of active HCMV infection on glucose regulation has been poorly studied. Although HCMV infection is correlated with atherosclerosis in cardiovascular disease, the role of HCMV infection in the development of diabetic atherosclerosis in T2DM is unclear and is usually neglected by endocrinologists. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of HCMV infection on glucose regulation and the development of diabetic atherosclerosis in T2DM patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 222 hospitalized T2DM patients were enrolled. Nested polymerase chain reactions were used to detect HCMV DNA extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine viral load. HCMV IgG antibody concentrations were analyzed by chemiluminescence immunoassay.

RESULTS: HCMV active infection, viral load, and HCMV IgG titers were not correlated with glucose regulation. Binary logistic regression demonstrated that the highest quartile of HCMV IgG concentration (>500 U/ml) was correlated with the incidence of diabetic atherosclerosis (OR: 8.0, 95%CI: 2.3–27.2), and that titer >127U/ml of HCMV IgG is an independent predictor for the development of diabetic atherosclerosis in T2DM patients (OR: 4.6, 95%CI: 1.9–11.3) after adjustment for all potential confounding factors.

CONCLUSIONS: Active HCMV infection is unlikely to influence glucose regulation in T2DM. However, HCMV IgG titers are associated with the incidence of diabetic atherosclerosis, and titer >127U/ml of HCMV IgG might be an independent risk factor for the development of diabetic atherosclerosis in T2DM patients.

Keywords: Antibodies, Viral - blood, Atherosclerosis - virology, Cytomegalovirus - immunology, Cytomegalovirus Infections - virology, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - virology, Immunoglobulin G - immunology, Incidence, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction, Risk Factors, Viral Load