title: Interleukin-3 is elevated in patients with coronary artery disease and predicts restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interleukin-3 (IL-3) synthesized by activated T-lymphocytes is a mediator in chronic inflammation and is suspected to promote atherosclerosis. Since there is no data on IL-3 in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) available, we compared IL-3 concentrations in different subsets of patients with CAD to healthy control patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  205 consecutive patients with CAD, 136 with stable angina and 69 with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, 61 patients with asymptomatic CAD and 41 patients with normal coronary arteries were investigated. Serum concentrations of IL-3 and hs-CRP were assessed at baseline and after 6 weeks, 6, and 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients undergoing coronary angioplasty, IL-3 was detectable more frequently than in those with asymptomatic CAD or without CAD, 21 vs. 8%, p=0.02, and 21 vs. 1%, p<0.001, respectively. Patients undergoing coronary angioplasty who developed symptomatic restenosis more frequently had detectable IL-3 levels than patients without restenosis, 45 vs. 17%, p=0.02. IL-3 was the only independent predictor for restenosis in a multivariate analysis. Hs-CRP was significantly elevated in patients with ACS, 230+/-170 mg/l vs. 100+/-140 mg/l, p=0.02, but did not correlate with IL-3 concentrations at any time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL-3, an important regulator of chronic inflammation, is elevated in patients with CAD, particularly in symptomatic patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Furthermore, high IL-3 concentrations were found to be predictive of symptomatic restenosis.
authors: Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
authors: Tanja
authors: T
authors: Rudolph
authors: Klaus-Peter
authors: KP
authors: Schaps
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Steven
authors: Ralf
authors: R
authors: Koester
authors: Volker
authors: V
authors: Rudolph
authors: Juergen
authors: J
authors: Berger
authors: Wolfram
authors: W
authors: Terres
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Meinertz
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Kaehler
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000097:blood; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000097:blood; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000097:blood*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000097:blood*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis
chemical_list: D007377:Interleukin-3; D002097:C-Reactive Protein