Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2006, 209(3)

Association of C-Reactive Protein with the Presence and Extent of Angiographically Verified Coronary Artery Disease

LIDIJA MEMON, VESNA SPASOJEVIC-KALIMANOVSKA,¹ NATAŠA BOGAVAC-STANOJEVIC,¹ DIMITRA KALIMANOVSKA-OŠTRIC,² ZORANA JELIC-IVANOVIC,¹ SLAVICA SPASIC¹ and ALEKSANDRA TOPIC¹

Clinical Chemistry Laboratory, Clinical Center “Beanijska Kosa,” Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, ¹Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Belgrade, and ²Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Prospective studies have demonstrated that markers of inflammation, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and fibrinogen, predict future cardiovascular disease risk. However, the association between the hsCRP and fibrinogen levels and the extent of coronary stenosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) remains controversial. The aim of our case-control study was to assess the association of inflammatory markers with the occurrence and extent of CAD. Serum hsCRP and plasma fibrinogen levels were measured in 138 patients with angiographically assessed CAD and in 183 healthy subjects matched according to age and gender. According to the number of significantly stenosed (≥50%) vessels, the patients were classified in four groups: those without stenosis (0-vessel disease) and those with 1, 2 or 3-vessel disease. The hsCRP and fibrinogen levels were significantly higher in patients than in controls (p < 0.001). Although the hsCRP and fibrinogen levels tended to increase with the number of stenotic vessels, the differences were only significant for hsCRP (p < 0.01). Regression analysis indicated hsCRP as an independent predictor for the presence (OR = 3.573, p < 0.05) and extent of CAD (β = 1.095, p < 0.05). In conclusion, the present study is the first report concerning the frequency distribution of hsCRP in Serbian healthy subjects and CAD patients. We have shown that elevated levels of hsCRP are associated with the presence and extent of CAD.

keywords —— atherosclerosis; inflammation; fibrinogen; hsCRP; coronary artery disease

© 2006 Tohoku University Medical Press

===============================

Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2006, 209, 197-206

Correspondence: Vesna Spasojevic-Kalimanovska, Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, POB 146, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro.

e-mail: vkalima@pharmacy.bg.ac.yu