“P26 | HUMAN CYTOMEGALOVIRUS-DRIVEN ADAPTIVE NK CELLS AND MATRIX METALLOPROTEINASES EXPRESSION AS KEY ELEMENTS IN ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUE DESTABILIZATION: J. Freni1, M. Crescenti2, E. Bertuccio3, A. Fittipaldi1, P. Carrega2, E. Di Carlo4, G. Ferlazzo3, G. Vermiglio1, I. Bonaccorsi2 | 1Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy: 2Department Human Pathology, «G. Barresi», University of Messina, Messina, Italy; 3Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, Genova, Italy; 4Department of Medicine and Sciences of Aging, «G. D’Annunzio» University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy”. 2025. European Journal of Histochemistry 69 (s2). https://doi.org/10.4081/ejh.2025.4346.