Association of factor VII levels with inflammatory parameters in hypercholesterolemic patients.
Inflammatory markers have been demonstrated to be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. In this setting, C-reactive protein (CRP) was shown to add predictive value to cholesterol levels. We investigated hypercholesterolemic patients and related their inflammatory variables and their coagulation state focusing on factor VII, a coagulation protein which plays an established role in thrombogenesis. We examined the relationship between factor VII clotting activity (FVIIc), FVII antigen (FVIIAg) and activated FVII (FVIIa) levels against CRP, interleukin-6 soluble receptor (IL-6sR), P-selectin, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and transforming growth factor-beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)), in fifty-eight hypercholesterolemic subjects. Patients were subjected to 6-8 weeks of lipid lowering treatment with diet or diet plus pravastatin (40 mg/day). Univariate analysis showed that FVII levels were positively associated with CRP (FVIIAg: r=0.56, P<0.0001; FVIIc: r=0.57, P<0.0001; FVIIa: r=0.39, P<0.001) and IL-6sR (FVIIAg: r=0.59, P<0.0001; FVIIc: r=0.52, P<0.0001; FVIIa: r=0.47; P<0.001). CRP was still correlated, at the baseline, with FVIIAg and FVIIc levels after multiple stepwise regression analysis (FVIIAg: P<0.0001; FVIIc: P<0.0001, respectively) and with FVIIAg at the end of lipid lowering treatment (P<0.0001). Our data indicate that the FVII level is independently associated with inflammatory variables and suggest their pathophysiological link in hypercholesterolemic patients.
Dipartimento di Medicina e Scienze dell'Invecchiamento, Università di Chieti, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Centro Servizi Biomedici, Via dei Vestini, 66013, Chieti, Italy. eporreca@unich.ch
Ettore
E
Porreca
Concetta
C
Di Febbo
Augusto
A
di Castelnuovo
Giovanna
G
Baccante
Concetta
C
Amore
Antonio
A
Angelini
Marcello
M
Di Nisio
Maria
M
Donati
Franco
F
Cuccurullo
Licia
L
Iacoviello
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005167:Factor VII / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000032:analysis*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011336:Probability; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D005167:Factor VII; D017035:Pravastatin