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Transcoronary concentration gradient of sCD40L and hsCRP in patients with coronary heart disease
Ying Wang1, Li Li, Hong-Wei Tan
1The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Health, Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China 250012.
Insights
The transcoronary concentration gradient of soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) better reflects local coronary inflammation in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients than hs-reactive protein (hsCRP). sCD40L may serve as a superior marker for assessing inflammation and plaque instability.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Inflammation Research
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Local inflammation is crucial in coronary heart disease (CHD) pathogenesis.
- Soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) and hs-reactive protein (hsCRP) are key inflammatory mediators.
- Their role in reflecting local coronary inflammation remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if the transcoronary concentration gradient of sCD40L can reliably indicate local coronary inflammation in CHD patients.
- To compare the efficacy of sCD40L with hsCRP in reflecting local inflammation.
Main Methods:
- Forty subjects were categorized into unstable angina pectoris (UAP), stable angina pectoris (SAP), and control groups.
- Blood samples were drawn from the coronary sinus (CS), aortic root (AO), and femoral vein (FV).
- Coronary and systemic circulation gradients (CS-AO and FV-AO) were calculated, and sCD40L and hsCRP levels were measured.
Main Results:
- The UAP group exhibited more complex coronary lesions than the SAP group (85% vs. 40%, p < 0.05).
- Transcoronary sCD40L gradients (CS-AO) were significantly higher in the UAP group compared to SAP and control groups (p < 0.001) and exceeded systemic gradients.
- Higher CS-AO sCD40L gradients correlated with complex coronary lesions (p < 0.01), while hsCRP showed no significant differences.
Conclusions:
- The transcoronary concentration gradient of sCD40L is a more sensitive indicator of local coronary inflammation in CHD patients than hsCRP.
- sCD40L shows potential as a superior biomarker for local inflammation and plaque instability in coronary heart disease.
Background:
Recent studies indicated that local inflammation played a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease. Soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) and hsC- reactive protein (hsCRP) are important inflammatory mediators. However, whether they can reflect local coronary inflammation is unclear.
Hypothesis:
We hypothesized that transcoronary concentration gradient of sCD40L could reflect local inflammation in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) more reliably.
Methods:
Forty subjects were divided into unstable angina pectoris (UAP) group (n=20), stable angina pectoris (SAP) group (n=10), and controls (n=10). Blood samples were collected from the coronary sinus (CS), aortic root (AO), and femoral vein (FV). The coronary circulation was expressed as CS-AO difference, while system circulation was expressed as FV-AO difference. sCD40L and hs-CRP were measured.
Results:
Complex lesions were more frequent in the UAP group than in the SAP group (85% vs. 40%, p < 0.05). CS-AO differences of sCD40L were much greater in the UAP group than in the SAP or control groups, and were greatly higher than FV-AO difference in UAP group (465.49 +/- 247.85 pg/mL vs. -14.94 +/- 83.41 pg/mL; 465.49 +/- 247.85 pg/mL vs. -7.66 +/- 78.54 pg/mL; 465.49 +/- 247.85 pg/mL vs. -7.99 +/- 141.34 pg/mL, all p < 0.001). CS-AO differences of sCD40L were higher in patients with complex lesions than with smooth lesions (657.86 +/- 384.76 pg/mL vs. 317.62 +/- 409.98 pg/mL, p < 0.01). There were no significant differences of CS-AO in hs-CRP among the three groups.
Conclusions:
In patients with CHD, the transcoronary concentration gradient of sCD40L is more sensitive than hsCRP, and sCD40L possibly a better marker of local inflammation and plaque instability.
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