Abstract 290: Lower Limb Revascularization of Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease Reduces Human Enterovirus Infection of the Gastrocnemius

Introduction: Peripheral artery disease (PAD), caused by obstruction of arteries supplying the lower extremities, is characterized by leg muscle degeneration. Recently, we showed that infectious human enterovirus (HEV), which has been implicated in other myodegenerative diseases, is present in ischemic muscle of PAD patients and that viral copy numbers correlate with disease severity. Hypothesis: We tested the hypothesis that prevalence of infectious HEV and viral copy number in the gastrocnemius of patients with PAD decrease in response to revascularization. Methods: Gastrocnemius biopsies were collected from controls (N=14) and from PAD patients (N=17), before and after revascularization. Biopsies were examined for the presence of HEV RNA, viral capsid protein, viral RNA copy number, and viral infectivity and for viral sub-genotype. Results: HEV RNA was detected in biopsies of 65% (11/17) of PAD patients and in none of the controls. After revascularization, the gastrocnemius of 5 patients who were HEV p...