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Updated: Sep 29, 2026

Coronary Progenitor Cells and Soluble Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Prognosis after Coronary Angioplasty
Published on: January 28, 2020
High-sensitivity C-reactive protein is the most effective prognostic measurement of acute coronary events
Laurie G Futterman1, Louis Lemberg
1Department of Medicine, University of Miami School of Medicine, Fla 33101, USA.
Insights
Inflammation drives atherosclerosis development and plaque rupture. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a validated biochemical marker for predicting coronary events.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Inflammation Biology
- Biochemical Markers
Background:
- Arterial atherosclerosis pathogenesis is significantly influenced by inflammation.
- Inflammatory processes mediate atheroma development, from initial leukocyte recruitment and fatty streaks to unstable plaque formation and rupture.
Observation:
- Several markers of vascular wall inflammation can predict plaque rupture risk.
- These markers often lack the specificity of C-reactive protein (CRP).
Findings:
- Numerous large-scale prospective studies confirm high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) as a robust biochemical marker.
- hs-CRP effectively predicts the risk of future first or recurrent coronary events.
Implications:
- hs-CRP is a valuable tool for cardiovascular risk assessment.
- A Food and Drug Administration-approved method for hs-CRP measurement is readily available, facilitating clinical application.
Abstract:
Inflammation plays a major role in the pathogenesis of arterial atherosclerosis. The stages of atheroma development from early recruitment of leukocytes and fatty streaks to the unstable plaque and finally rupture are mediated by the inflammatory process. Several markers of vascular wall inflammation that can predict future risk of plaque rupture have been identified. However, these lack the specificity of CRP. Numerous large-scale prospective studies established hs-CRP as a strong biochemical marker for the prediction of future first or recurrent coronary events. A Food and Drug Administration-approved method for measuring hs-CRP is currently available.
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