OBJECTIVETo investigate the serum level of carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) and explore its correlation with MMP-2 and MMP-9 in patients with coronary artery disease (CHD).

METHODSA total of 103 CHD patients treated in our hospital between October, 2013 and May, 2014 were enrolled, including 39 with stable angina pectoris (SAP), 39 with unstable angina (UA), and 25 with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), with 38 non-CHD volunteers as the control group. The serum levels of ICTP, MMP-2, and MMP-9 were detected in all the subjects using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSNo significant difference in serum levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, or ICTP was found between the control and SAP groups or between UA and AMI groups (P>0.05), but the latter two groups had significantly higher serum levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, and ICTP than the former two groups (P<0.05). Serum ICTP level was found to negatively correlated with the fibrotic area and positively with the lipid component in the plaques (P<0.05). Regression analysis revealed significant positive correlations of serum ICTP with MMP-2 and MMP-9 (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONAn elevated serum ICTP level is indicative of the presence of unstable plaques in CHD patients. Serum ICTP is more strongly correlated with MMP-2 than with MMP-9, and can be used as a non-invasive marker for assessing vulnerable plaques in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Acute Coronary Syndrome ; Angina Pectoris ; Angina, Unstable ; Biomarkers ; blood ; Case-Control Studies ; Collagen Type I ; blood ; Coronary Artery Disease ; blood ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; blood ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; blood ; Myocardial Infarction

OBJECTIVE: To explore the immune cytotoxic effect and the maximum non-effect dose of trichloroethylene( TCE) on Jurkat T cells in vitro. METHODS: i) Naive and activated Jurkat T cells were treated with different concentrations of TCE( 0. 10, 0. 50, 1. 00, 2. 00, 5. 00, 10. 00 mmol / L). Phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate and ionomycin were used as agonist. No TCE was used in the control group and dimethyl sulfoxide( DMSO) was used as the solvent group. The morphology of Jurkat T cells was observed using a light microscope and the survival rate of Jurkat T cells was investigated using CCK-8 essay after cells were cultured for 24,48 and 72 hours. ii) Nave and activated Jurkat T cells were treated with different concentrations of TCE( 0. 00,0. 02,0. 20,2. 00 mmol / L). The apoptosis of cells was detected using flow cytometry and the level of interleukin-2( IL-2) in supernatant was detected using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay after cells were cultured for 24,48 and 72 hours. RESULTS: i) Cytotoxic effect was observed after cells were exposed to 10. 00 mmol / L TCE for 24 hours. Cells dispersed,cell volume diminished,cell membrane ruptured,cytoplasm condensed and increased outflow of intercellular organelles. The effect of interaction between exposure dose and exposure time was statistically significant on cell survival rate( P < 0. 01). Compared with the control and DMSO groups at the same time points,there were no significant differences in the 0. 10,0. 50,1. 00 and 2. 00 mmol / L TCE treatment groups in cell survival rates in three different time points( P > 0. 05),while the cell survival rates of 5. 00 and 10. 00 mmol / L TCE treatment groups were significantly decreased( P < 0. 01). ii) When TCE concentration was 0. 00-2. 00 mmol / L,there were no significant differences in the main effect of exposure dose and interactions of between exposure dose and cell type or exposure time on cell apoptosis rate( P > 0. 05). Compared with the same time points and groups of naive Jurkat T cells,the levels of IL-2 of activated Jurkat T cells were significantly increased( P < 0. 01). In the three different time points,the level of IL-2 of activated Jurkat T cells increased in accordance with the TCE exposure dose,showing a dose-effect relationship( P < 0. 01). The level of IL-2 of activated Jurkat T cells increased in accordance with TCE exposure time,showing a time-effect relationship( P < 0. 01). CONCLUSION:s TCE at the level of 2. 00 mmol / L had no observed effect in Jurkat T cells. High doses of TCE( ≥5. 00 mmol / L) showed cytotoxic damages to naive and activated Jurkat T cells and low doses of TCE( ≤2. 00 mmol / L) could stimulate activated Jurkat T cells secrete IL-2 in a dosedependent and time-dependent manner.