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Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
Impact of inflammatory factors on coronary CT calcification score: correlation with plaque stability and evaluation
Zhipeng Hao1, Dehao Ma1, Yingzhe Wu1
1Department of Radiology, Changxing People's Hospital Huzhou 313100, Zhejiang, China.
Insights
Elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), are linked to coronary artery disease (CAD) progression and plaque instability. These markers show diagnostic potential for identifying coronary heart disease (CHD).
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Immunology
- Radiology
Background:
- Inflammatory cytokines play a role in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD).
- Assessing plaque stability is crucial for understanding CHD progression and risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between specific inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10) and coronary plaque stability.
- To evaluate the diagnostic performance of these cytokines in identifying coronary heart disease (CHD) using coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) calcium scoring.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 148 patients, divided into CHD (n=102) and non-CHD (n=46) groups.
- Coronary CTA calcium scores, serum cytokine levels (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10), and plaque stability markers were measured.
- Correlation analysis and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed to assess relationships and diagnostic utility.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 levels were observed between CHD and non-CHD groups (P < 0.05).
- IL-1β and IL-6 positively correlated with SYNTAX scores and plaque stability markers.
- ROC analysis indicated favorable diagnostic performance for IL-1β (AUC=0.754) and IL-6 (AUC=0.746) in predicting CHD.
Conclusions:
- Inflammatory factors are significant contributors to CHD development and progression.
- Cytokine levels correlate with coronary calcium scores and plaque stability markers.
- These inflammatory markers demonstrate potential clinical utility for CHD diagnosis.
Objective:
To investigate the correlation between inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10) and plaque stability as assessed by coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) calcium scoring.
Methods:
A retrospective study was conducted in 148 patients who underwent coronary angiography in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine of our hospital from January 2022 to December 2024. Patients were classified into a coronary heart disease (CHD) group (n = 102) and a non-CHD group (n = 46). Coronary CTA calcium scores, biochemical parameters, serum cytokine levels (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10), and plaque stability-related markers - including lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1), cathepsin K (CTSK), and pentraxin 3 (PTX3) - were compared between the groups. Patients were further stratified according to the Synergy between PCI with TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score into mild-to-moderate and severe coronary artery disease subgroups. Correlations among inflammatory cytokines, SYNTAX score, and plaque stability-related markers were assessed and compared between the groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive value of inflammatory cytokines for CHD.
Results:
Significant differences were observed in peripheral blood levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 between the CHD and non-CHD groups (all P < 0.05). IL-1β and IL-6 were positively correlated with both SYNTAX scores and plaque stability-related markers. ROC analysis revealed that IL-1β had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.754 (95% CI: 0.631-0.877, P < 0.05) with an optimal cutoff of 4.86, yielding a sensitivity of 68.6% and specificity of 89.7%. IL-6 showed an AUC of 0.746 (95% CI: 0.631-0.860, P < 0.05) with a cutoff of 6.74, corresponding to a sensitivity of 82.9% and specificity of 66.7%.
Conclusion:
Inflammatory factors are important contributors to the development and progression of CHD. Their levels are significantly correlated with coronary calcium scores and plaque stability-related markers, and they demonstrate favorable diagnostic performance, suggesting potential clinical utility.
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