title: Effect of clarithromycin on inflammatory markers in patients with atherosclerosis.
abstract: Atherosclerosis can to a certain extent be regarded as an inflammatory disease. Also, inflammatory markers may provide information about cardiovascular risk. Whether macrolide antibiotics, especially clarithromycin, have an anti-inflammatory effect in patients with atherosclerosis is not exactly known. To study this phenomenon, a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study was performed. A total of 231 patients with documented coronary artery disease received a daily dose of either 500 mg of slow-release clarithromycin or placebo until the day of surgery. Levels of inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, interleukin-2 receptor [IL-2R], IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor alpha) were assessed during the preoperative outpatient visit, on the day of surgery, and 8 weeks after surgery. Also, changes in the levels of inflammatory markers between visits were determined by delta calculations. Baseline patient characteristics were balanced between the two treatment groups: the average age was 66 years (standard deviation [SD] = 9.0), 79% of the patients were male, and the average number of tablets used was 16 (SD = 9.3). The inflammatory markers of the groups as well as the delta calculations were not significantly changed. Treatment with clarithromycin did not influence the inflammatory markers in patients with atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, St. Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands. h.berg@elisabeth.nl
authors.forename: Hans F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Boulos
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maraha
authors.forename: Gert-Jan
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Scheffer
authors.forename: Marcel F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.forename: Jan A J W
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kluytmans
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D017291:Clarithromycin