Cytokine Disturbances in Coronary Artery Ectasia Do Not Support Atherosclerosis Pathogenesis
Usama Boles1,2, Anders Johansson3,4, Urban Wiklund5
1Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden. bolesu@tcd.ie.
Insights
Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) shows an enhanced systemic inflammatory response. This immune profile suggests macrophage activation via a distinct pathway, differing from atherosclerosis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Immunology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a rare condition often linked to atherosclerosis.
- The underlying systemic immune-inflammatory mechanisms in CAE require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the systemic immune-inflammatory response associated with coronary artery ectasia (CAE).
- To compare inflammatory markers in patients with CAE, coronary artery disease (CAD), and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Plasma samples from 16 CAE patients, 69 CAD patients, and 140 controls were analyzed.
- The V-PLEX Pro-Inflammatory Panel 1 (human) Kit was used to measure cytokine levels.
- Statistical analysis involved Mann-Whitney U-tests to determine significant differences (p < 0.05).
Main Results:
- CAE patients exhibited significantly higher plasma levels of INF-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-8 compared to CAD patients and controls.
- Lower levels of IL-2 and IL-4 were observed in CAE patients.
- No significant differences in IL-10, IL-12p, and IL-13 levels were found between groups.
Conclusions:
- CAE is characterized by an enhanced systemic pro-inflammatory immune response.
- The inflammatory profile in CAE suggests a unique macrophage activation pathway distinct from that in atherosclerosis.
Background:
Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a rare disorder commonly associated with additional features of atherosclerosis. In the present study, we aimed to examine the systemic immune-inflammatory response that might associate CAE.
Methods:
Plasma samples were obtained from 16 patients with coronary artery ectasia (mean age 64.9 ± 7.3 years, 6 female), 69 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and angiographic evidence for atherosclerosis (age 64.5 ± 8.7 years, 41 female), and 140 controls (mean age 58.6 ± 4.1 years, 40 female) with normal coronary arteries. Samples were analyzed at Umeå University Biochemistry Laboratory, Sweden, using the V-PLEX Pro-Inflammatory Panel 1 (human) Kit. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between patient groups and controls were determined using Mann-Whitney U-tests.
Results:
The CAE patients had significantly higher plasma levels of INF-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-8 (p = 0.007, 0.01, 0.001, and 0.002, respectively), and lower levels of IL-2 and IL-4 (p < 0.001 for both) compared to CAD patients and controls. The plasma levels of IL-10, IL-12p, and IL-13 were not different between the three groups. None of these markers could differentiate between patients with pure (n = 6) and mixed with minimal atherosclerosis (n = 10) CAE.
Conclusions:
These results indicate an enhanced systemic pro-inflammatory response in CAE. The profile of this response indicates activation of macrophages through a pathway and trigger different from those of atherosclerosis immune inflammatory response.
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