The association between serum sialic acid and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis is not related to antibodies to herpes type viruses or Chlamydia pneumoniae. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study Investigators
BACKGROUND: Total serum sialic acid is a recently investigated marker for cardiovascular mortality and carotid atherosclerosis. This study tested the hypothesis that past infection by Herpes simplex type 1 or type 2 viruses or Cytomegalovirus or Chlamydia pneumoniae accounts for the association between serum total sialic acid and atherosclerosis. METHODS: Population-based samples of men and women