title: Homocysteine is positively associated with cytokine IL-18 plasma levels in coronary artery bypass surgery patients.
abstract: Homocysteine, cytokines (IL-18, IL-6, IL-8) are involved in vascular inflammation and coronary artery disease. Homocysteine influences endothelial IL-6 and IL-8 cytokine expression and release, however, an association between homocysteine and IL-18 has not been previously investigated in endothelial/smooth muscle cells and or in coronary artery disease. We report in 9 coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) patients a positive correlation r = 0.86 between homocysteine and IL-18 plasma levels (p < 0.05). Plasma IL-18 levels are significantly higher in those patients with elevated homocysteine compared to those with normal levels (p < 0.02; 153 +/- 19 pg/ml versus 116 +/- 14 pg/ml respectively). Our in vitro cell culture studies suggest that the source of IL-18 in CABG patients with elevated homocysteine is not from vascular smooth muscle or endothelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, National University of Singapore, Singapore. reperfusion@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Craig Steven
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: McLachlan
authors.forename: Wendy Chen-Nee
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: Peter Tsun Hon
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Ti Lian
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Kah
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Reida Menshawe
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: El Oakley
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D020382:Interleukin-18; D006710:Homocysteine