Aida Gholoobi - Department of Modern Sciences and Technologies, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Zahra Meshkat - Associate Professor, Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Akram Baghani - PhD Candidate, Student Research Committee AND Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Maryam Sadat Alavi - Cardiologist, Cardiovascular Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Toktam Mohamadpoor - Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Mastoureh Momen-Heravi - Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Mohsen Mouhebati - Associate Professor, Cardiovascular Research Center AND Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Samaneh Sepahi - PhD Candidate, Targeted Drug Delivery Research Center AND School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Sina Rostami - PhD Candidate, Department of Biology, School of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran AND The Influenza Centre, Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
Mojtaba Meshkat - PhD Candidate, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
Arash Gholoobi - Assistant Professor, Atherosclerosis Prevention Research Center AND Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

BACKGROUND: Although the role of enteroviruses has been proved in heart diseases, extensive information is not available on the association between enteroviruses and unstable angina. In the present study, the authors compared the prevalence of enteroviruses in patients with and without unstable angina. METHODS: Blood samples were taken from ۵۱ patients with unstable angina and ۵۵ patients without unstable angina or myocardial infarction that were admitted to Imam Reza and Ghaem hospitals (Mashhad, northeast of Iran). Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed using specific primers for the detection of the enteroviruses in blood samples of study subjects. RESULTS: Patients with and without unstable angina were similar in age with mean ± standard deviation of ۶۲.۶ ± ۱۲.۸ and ۵۹.۷ ± ۱۲.۷ years, respectively (P = ۰.۲۴۳) and there were no differences in gender in these two groups (P = ۰.۱۷۴). Prevalence of the enteroviruses in patients with unstable angina was higher only in ۶۶-۸۰ years age group compared to the control group (patients without unstable angina, P = ۰.۰۳۲). There was a higher prevalence of enterovirus RNA positivity in the blood samples of women with unstable angina (۷۵.۹%) than those without unstable angina (۴۱.۷%, P = ۰.۰۱۱), however, no significant difference was observed in men (P = ۰.۹۸۳). CONCLUSION: Our data showed that enteroviral RNA positivity was higher in patients with unstable angina compared to those without unstable angina. However, the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant.   

Unstable Angina, Enterovirus, Reverse Transcriptase PCR