Trans-Myocardial Blood Interleukin-6 Levels Relate to Intracoronary Imaging-Defined Features of Plaque Vulnerability...

Intravascular imaging has defined various vulnerable plaque (VP) phenotypes that predict future clinical events. Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory process and inflammation, measured by systemic biomarkers can also predict events and anti-inflammatory therapy is beneficial. We were interested to assess the relationship between plaque phenotypes and key inflammatory biomarkers, measured close to the coronary.

Ninety-two patients scheduled for elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) underwent virtual histology intravascular ultrasound, optical coherence tomography, pressure wire and blood sampling from the guide catheter (GC), coronary sinus (CS) to determine trans-myocardial gradient (TMG = CS-GC) and from peripheral blood. Procedure related troponin release was assessed at 6-hours post-PCI from peripheral venous blood. Biomarker data were analysed and compared with coronary data.

Interleukin (IL)-6 was associated with increased levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and C-reactive protein (CRP) and the pre-PCI IL-6 TMG correlated with plaque features of vulnerability: plaque burden - PB (r = 0.253, p = 0.04) and minimal lumen area - MLA (r = -0.438, p = 0.007), although no relationship existed for thin-capped fibroatheroma defined by either imaging modality. Peripheral IL-6 levels had no correlation with post PCI troponin, although the pre-PCI IL-6 TMG was related (r = 0.334, p = 0.006), as was PB (r = 0.27, p = 0.029).

IL-6 TMG pre-PCI correlates with plaque burden and MLA that have been shown to predict future clinical events and is correlated with post-PCI troponin release. These associations were not apparent from peripheral blood and suggest that local coronary biomarker signatures may help further define vulnerability and risk.