title: Inflammation markers in young post-myocardial patients exhibiting various expressions of classic coronary risk factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated inflammation markers in young post-myocardial infarction patients exhibiting various expressions of classical risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one male patients with high (n=20) and low (n=21) expression of classical risk factors (risk of coronary events calculated by the prospective cardiovascular Munster study program high or low, respectively), on average 44 years old, who were in the stable phase after myocardial infarction (on average 20.5 months after myocardial infarction) were included in the study. The control group consisted of 25 healthy, age-matched men. The following inflammation markers were measured: leukocyte count, high-sensitive C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, intracellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1, selectin-P and selectin-E.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences in the levels of leukocytes, high-sensitive C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, intracellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1, selectin-P and selectin-E were found between the group of patients and the controls. In contrast, interleukin-6 was significantly (P<0.01) elevated in the group of patients with high [2.5 (1.9-5.3) ng/ml] and low [3.2 (1.5-8.4) ng/ml] expression of risk factors compared with the controls [1.4 (0.9-2.3) ng/ml]. Significantly, there was no difference in interleukin-6 between the two groups of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We did not find differences in inflammation markers between young post-myocardial infarction patients with or without classical risk factors. Thus, it seems that the presence of (treated) risk factors or their absence does not affect the levels of inflammation markers in the stable period after myocardial infarction. Importantly, we found similarly elevated interleukin-6 in both groups of patients, most probably indicating slight local vascular inflammation. Interleukin-6 appears to be the most suitable marker of vascular inflammation in post-myocardial infarction patients who are aggressively treated pharmacologically.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Disease, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia. erzen_b@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Erzen
authors.forename: Miso
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sabovic
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poredos
authors.forename: Miran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sebestjen
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Keber
authors.forename: Sasa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simcic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D019040:E-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications*; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019040:E-Selectin; D015850:Interleukin-6; D019007:P-Selectin; C439524:TNF protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D002097:C-Reactive Protein