title: Markers of low-grade inflammation and soluble cell adhesion molecules in Chinese patients with coronary artery disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inflammation plays an important role in atherosclerosis. Markers of low-grade chronic inflammation, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and soluble cell adhesion molecules (sCAMs), have been associated with coronary artery disease (CAD).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the significance of inflammatory markers as novel risk factors for CAD in the Chinese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  High-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP); sCAMs, including vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), P-selectin (sP-selectin) and E-selectin (sE-selectin); and white blood cell (WBC) count were measured in 170 angiographically defined CAD patients (70% or greater stenosis affecting at least one vessel) and 177 healthy control subjects in the Chinese population in Singapore.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of hs-CRP, sVCAM-1 and sP-selectin, and the WBC count were higher in CAD patients than in control subjects (P<0.001, P<0.05, P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively). There were no significant differences in the levels of sICAM-1 and sE-selectin between the two groups. Patients with unstable angina or myocardial infarction had higher levels of hs-CRP, and higher WBC and monocyte counts than those with stable angina or atypical chest pain (all P<0.05). The level of sP-selectin in patients with multivessel disease was higher than in those with single-vessel disease (P<0.05). Overall, the levels of hs-CRP and sCAMs showed a significant correlation with the lipid profile and the WBC count.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study suggests that inflammatory markers, including hs-CRP and WBC count, together with sP-selectin and sVCAM-1, could serve as markers of atherogenesis in Chinese patients with CAD, with potential diagnostic and therapeutic implications.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Singapore-National Heart Centre Vascular Biology Program, National Heart Centre of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Heming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Koon Hou
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.forename: Zhuowei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yean Leng
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Subroto
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000032:analysis; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000378:metabolism; D011336:Probability; D018570:Risk Assessment; D019087:Selectins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016019:Survival Analysis; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019040:E-Selectin; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D019007:P-Selectin; D019087:Selectins; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D002097:C-Reactive Protein