title: Different patterns of interleukin-6 and von Willebrand factor antigen changes after coronary stenting in unstable versus stable angina.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the time course and the clinical relevance of inflammatory markers in patients with unstable angina undergoing successful coronary stent implantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-six patients (33 with unstable and 23 with stable angina) scheduled for single vessel coronary angioplasty followed by successful stent implantation were studied. Blood samples for measurements of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and von Willebrand factor antigen (vWf) were taken immediately before coronary angioplasty and 24 hours and 1 month after the procedure. Patients were clinically examined 1 month after the procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean levels of IL-6 before stenting were significaNtly higher in unstable than in stable angina patients (p = 0.002), whereas baseline values of vWf showed no difference between the two groups. In unstable angina, serum levels of IL-6 and of vWf did not change 24 hours after stent implantation, but significantly decreased 1 month after the procedure (p = 0.005 and p = 0.0015 respectively). In stable patients, serum levels of IL-6, but not of vWf, increased 24 hours after the procedure and returned to baseline levels 1 month after stent implantation (p = 0.046).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In unstable angina, successful treatment of the culprit lesion by coronary stenting results in a significant decrease in the serum levels of IL-6 and of vWf 1 month after the procedure, suggesting that, in this clinical condition, elevated levels of these parameters correlate with the instability of the atheromatous plaque and that their decrease after successful stent implantation is the result of plaque stabilization.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Division of Hematology, Hospital of Legnano, MI.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spaziani
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Servi
authors.forename: Benedetto
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Urbano
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vandoni
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Passoni
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cafiero
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D000941:Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015607:Stents; D013997:Time Factors; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D015850:Interleukin-6; C029417:Von Willebrand antigen; D014841:von Willebrand Factor