Inflammatory Markers, Angiographic Severity of Coronary Artery Disease, and Patient Outcome

• Published in: The American journal of cardiology 2007-04, Vol.99 (7), p.879-884
• Main Authors: Sukhija, Rishi, MD, Fahdi, Ibrahim, MD, Garza, Luis, MD, Fink, Louis, MD, Scott, Margaret, MD, Aude, Wady, MD, Pacheco, Rebecca, RN, Bursac, Zoran, PhD, MPH, Grant, April, MPH, Mehta, Jawahar L., MD, PhD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Analysis of Variance; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - blood; Body fluids; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Cardiology; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular system; Clinical outcomes; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Artery Bypass; Coronary Artery Disease - blood; Coronary Artery Disease - complications; Coronary Artery Disease - diagnostic imaging; Coronary Artery Disease - epidemiology; Coronary Artery Disease - therapy; Coronary heart disease; Coronary Stenosis - blood; Coronary Stenosis - complications; Coronary Stenosis - diagnostic imaging; Coronary Stenosis - epidemiology; Coronary Stenosis - therapy; Correlation analysis; Cytokines; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gangrene; Heart; Humans; Inflammation Mediators - blood; Inflammatory diseases; Interleukin-6 - blood; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Male; Medical imaging; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction - blood; Myocardial Infarction - epidemiology; Myocardial Infarction - etiology; Predictive Value of Tests; Prospective Studies; Proteins; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Regression Analysis; Research Design; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Treatment Outcome; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - blood; Tumors
• ISSN: 0002-9149; 1879-1913
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2006.11.032

Serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) have been shown to be predictors of adverse outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We hypothesized that measurement of inflammatory markers could predict atherosclerotic burden and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs). We prospectively measured hs-CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α in 249 patients who were admitted with acute chest pain and underwent coronary angiography. We analyzed the relation between serum levels of inflammatory markers and angiographic severity of CAD. A follow-up at 6 months was conducted to assess MACEs, defined as a cumulative of myocardial infarction, all-cause death, or coronary revascularization (percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass surgery). After adjusting for conventional CAD risk factors (age, gender, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and hypercholesterolemia), there was no association between inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α) and angiographic severity of CAD. There was a significant positive correlation between age, male gender, diabetes mellitus, and hypercholesterolemia with atherosclerotic burden determined by angiography. There was no significant positive association between MACEs and hs-CRP, IL-6, or TNF-α level in unadjusted and adjusted models. In conclusion, in patients hospitalized with chest pain, we found no association of serum levels of hs-CRP, IL-6, or TNF-α with coronary atherosclerotic burden or MACEs at 6 months after adjustment for traditional CAD risk factors.