OBJECTIVE: To detect the levels of index related to inflammation such as soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L), neutrophil collagenase-8 (MMP-8), and pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) , lipid peroxidation and autoimmune indexes such as oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and its antibody (ox-LDL Ab) in patients with coronary heart disease, and to investigate its relationship with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: Contents of sCD40L, MMP-8, PAPP-A, ox-LDL and ox-LDL Ab in the peripheral blood were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay from 109 patients with coronary heart disease including 36 acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 38 unstable angina pectoris (UAP), and 35 stable angina pectoris (SAP) and 36 controls without coronary heart disease. RESULTS: The levels of each index in the peripheral blood of ACS patients (including AMI and UAP) were higher than those of SAP patients and controls (P < 0.05), and the difference of each index between UAP group and AMI group in ACS patients had no statistical significance (P > 0.05). The levels of each index of SAP patients, except PAPP-A, were all higher than those of controls (P <0.05). All the indexes were helpful in diagnosis of ACS. The area under the ROC curve of each index is between 0.7 and 0.9. CONCLUSION The increase of sCD40L, MMP-8, PAPP-A, ox-LDL and ox-LDL Ab levels in peripheral blood may be related to the pathogenesis of ACS, and can be used as potential markers of unstable atherosclerosis plaque.
Aged ; Angina, Unstable ; blood ; immunology ; Autoantibodies ; blood ; Biomarkers ; blood ; CD40 Ligand ; blood ; Coronary Artery Disease ; blood ; immunology ; Female ; Humans ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; blood ; immunology ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 8 ; blood ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; blood ; immunology ; Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A ; metabolism

PURPOSE: Elastin is a major arterial structural protein, and elastin-derived peptides are related to arterial change. We previously reported on a novel assay developed using aortic elastin peptides; however, its clinical implications remain unclear. In this study, we assessed whether anti-elastin antibody titers reflect the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) or its characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 174 CAD patients and 171 age- and sex-matched controls. Anti-elastin antibody titers were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Parameters of arterial stiffness, including the augmentation index (AI) and heart-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (hfPWV), were measured non-invasively. The clinical and angiographic characteristics of CAD patients were also evaluated. Associations between anti-elastin levels and vascular characteristics were examined by linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The median blood level of anti-elastin was significantly lower in the CAD group than in the controls [197 arbitrary unit (a.u.) vs. 63 a.u., p<0.001]. Levels of anti-elastin were significantly lower in men and in subjects with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, or high hfPWV. Nevertheless, anti-elastin levels were not dependent on atherothrombotic events or the angiographic severity of CAD. In a multivariate analysis, male sex (beta=-0.38, p<0.001), diabetes mellitus (beta=-0.62, p<0.001), hyperlipidemia (beta=-0.29, p<0.001), and AI (beta=-0.006, p=0.02) were ultimately identified as determinants of anti-elastin levels. CONCLUSION: Lower levels of anti-elastin are related to CAD. The association between antibody titers and CAD is linked to arterial stiffness rather than the advancement of atherosclerosis.
Aged ; Angiography ; Antibodies/*blood ; Atherosclerosis/*blood/immunology ; Coronary Artery Disease/blood/*immunology ; Elastin/*blood/immunology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension/complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulse Wave Analysis ; Vascular Stiffness/*immunology/physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the proinflammatory cytocine factors in patients with coronary artery disease by different treatments during perioperation.

METHODSTNF-alpha, IL-6, c-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in 37 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and 10 patients with mitral valve replacement (MVR, control group) before operation and aortic clamping or before coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in the patients with cardiopulmonary bypass, or before transmyocardial laser reperfusion (TMLR), when aortic declamping and 3, 6, 24 hours after operation.

RESULTSThe level of proinflammatory factors increased more significantly after operation than before operation. TNF-alpha increased more significantly in the patients with CPB than in those without CPB after operation [(4.10 +/- 0.71) pg/ml vs. (1.34 +/- 0.29) pg/ml, P < 0.05)]. IL-6 was not the different among all groups after operation. CRP was higher in the CAD patients with CPB than in the control group after operation [(12.89 +/- 0.29) pg/ml vs. (12.00 +/- 0.31) pg/ml, P < 0.05].

CONCLUSIONInflammatory response can be seen after operation in all CAD patients. In patients undergoing CABG without CPB or undergoing TMLR, the changes in flammatory response are milder than those in patients with CPB. Thus patients should undergo CABG without CPB if they are indicated.

Aged ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Disease ; immunology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; analysis

INTRODUCTIONMany studies have reported on the association between human coronary artery disease (CAD) and certain persistent bacterial and viral infections. Currently, it is unclear whether hepatitis B virus infection is associated with the risk of the atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between hepatitis B virus infection and angiography-proven CAD.

MATERIALS AND METHODSSera from 5,004 patients who underwent coronary angiography were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay at Madani Heart Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

RESULTSOur study population comprised 66% male and 34% female, with an age range of 36 to 86 years. The prevalence of HBsAg positivity tended to be higher in CAD patients than in those without CAD (3.28% versus 2.17%), but the difference was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONOur results suggest that hepatitis B virus infection is not associated with coronary atherosclerosis in this population.

Child, Preschool ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Cholesterol, VLDL ; blood ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; blood ; complications ; epidemiology ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; immunology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Iran ; epidemiology ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sex Distribution