title: Baseline systemic inflammatory status and no-reflow phenomenon after percutaneous coronary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Systemic inflammation is involved in several pathological cardiovascular processes. However, whether it plays a role in the no-reflow phenomenon occurring in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studies 60 consecutive patients (59.5+/-12 years, 82% males) with a first ST-segment elevation AMI, treated by primary or rescue PCI within 6 h of symptom onset. Angiographic indexes of no-reflow, evaluated at the end of the procedure, included coronary TIMI flow grading, corrected TIMI frame count (c-TFC) and myocardial blush grade (MBG). ECG indexes of no-reflow included the lack of ST segment resolution (defined as a reduction <50% of the measured ST-segment elevation at 90 min, compared to the admission ECG), as analyzed both in the single lead with the maximal ST elevation and in all leads showing ST elevation on admission. Patients were divided into two groups according to baseline high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) serum levels measured on admission: high CRP group (CRP>5 mg/L) and low CRP group (CRP<5 mg/L).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A similar prevalence of final TIMI flow<3 and MBG<3 was observed in patients with high and low CRP serum levels (30% vs. 12%, p=0.1, and 50% vs. 53%, p=1.0, respectively), and c-TFC was also similar in the two groups (26+/-4.5 vs. 24+/-6, p=0.5). Accordingly, the prevalence of lack of ST-segment resolution in the two groups was similar, both by the single-lead method (25% vs. 25%, p=1.0) and the multiple-lead method (29% vs. 19%, p=0.4).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study we failed to demonstrate any significant association between CRP serum levels on admission and coronary no-reflow, as assessed by both angiographic and ECG parameters in AMI patients treated by successful primary or rescue PCI within 6 h of chest pain onset.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. gniccoli73@hotmail.it
authors.forename: Giampaolo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Niccoli
authors.forename: Gaetano A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Lanza
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spaziani
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Altamura
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Romagnoli
authors.forename: Antonio Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fusco
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trani
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Burzotta
authors.forename: Mario A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mazzari
authors.forename: Rocco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mongiardo
authors.forename: Luigi M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Biasucci
authors.forename: Antonio G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Rebuzzi
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crea
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000628:therapy*; D017211:Treatment Failure