6533b7d6fe1ef96bd1265da0

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Inflammation, atherosclerotic burden and cardiovascular prognosis.

subject

description

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of various inflammatory markers on atherosclerotic burden and cardiovascular prognosis.In a prospective study 720 patients preceding coronary angiography were enrolled. In all patients carotid and leg arteries were examined using sonographic methods and C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, interleukin-18 (IL-18) and interleukin-6 have been determined. Patients were compared with regard to atherosclerotic burden: no clinically significant stenosis (N=57, 7.9%), coronary artery disease only (N=362, 50.3%), coronary artery disease with peripheral atherosclerosis (=multi-vascular atherosclerosis, N=301, 41.8%).Follow-up data after a median of 6.5 years were available in 719 patients (99.9%), 75 patients (10.4%) died from cardiovascular causes. Presence of multi-vascular atherosclerosis, elevation of IL-18 and elevation of fibrinogen were independently related to cardiovascular death in a fully adjusted model Hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) 2.0 (1.2-3.5) for presence of multi-vascular atherosclerosis (P0.01), 2.2 (1.2-3.9) for high fibrinogen (P0.01) and 2.8 (1.6-4.9) for high IL-18 (P0.0001)). Fibrinogen was achieved as independent predictor for both, mortality and atherosclerotic burden, whereas IL-18 was not related to atherosclerotic burden.IL-18 was an independent predictor for future cardiovascular death but was not associated with extent of atherosclerosis, whereas fibrinogen was independently related to cardiovascular death and extent of disease.