title: Elevated preprocedural high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels are associated with neointimal hyperplasia and restenosis development after successful coronary artery stenting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent data indicate that an elevated serum level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) predicts the risk of recurrent coronary events, and that statin therapy decreases the risk of coronary events. This study assessed the relationship between the pre-procedural hs-CRP level and in-stent neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) after stenting and the effects of statins on the relationship between restenosis after stenting and the serum hs-CRP levels of patients with coronary artery disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study included 100 patients who underwent stent implantation for angiographically significant stenosis. Patients were divided into a normal C-reactive protein (CRP) group (<0.5 mg/dl, n=59) and elevated CRP group (>or=0.5 mg/dl, n=41). All patients underwent angiographic and intravascular ultrasound follow-up at 6 months. The baseline CRP level was 0.29+/-0.08 mg/dl in the normal CRP group and 2.90+/-2.31 mg/dl in the elevated CRP group. The NIH cross-sectional area (CSA) in the minimal lumen CSA at follow-up was significantly larger in the elevated CRP group compared with the normal CRP group (1.9+/-1.3 mm2 vs 3.0+/-1.5 mm2, p=0.001). A significant positive correlation was found between pre-interventional CRP level and NIH area (r=0.52, p<0.001). In patients with normal CRP, an association between statin therapy and restenosis was not observed. However, when the analysis was confined to patients with elevated CRP, statin therapy significantly reduced the restenosis rate (20% vs 37.5%, p=0.031). In the normal CRP group, the intra-stent neointimal area at 6 months was not different between the non-statin and statin groups (2.2+/-1.4 mm2 vs 1.8+/-1.1 mm2). However, in the elevated CRP group, statin therapy significantly decreased the neointimal area at 6-month follow-up (3.6+/-1.7 mm2 vs 2.4+/-1.3 mm2, p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Measuring the pre-interventional hs-CRP level may help predict the development of restenosis after stenting and statin therapy will significantly reduce the restenosis rate in patients with an elevated hs-CRP.
authors.affiliation: The Heart Center of Chonnam National University Hospital, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Joon
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Myung Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Sang Yup
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Sang Rok
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kye Hun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Il Suk
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Sohn
authors.forename: Hyung Wook
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ju Han
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Weon
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Youngkeun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Jeong Gwan
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jong Chun
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jung Chaee
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015607:Stents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D002097:C-Reactive Protein