The elusive link between high sensitivity C-reactive protein and carotid subclinical atherosclerosis in coronary artery bypass grafting candidates: a cross-sectional study.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies demonstrated a modest association between C-Reactive Protein (CRP), stenosis of carotid artery, and carotid Intima-Media Thickness (IMT) in general population. During present study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP) and Common Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (CCIMT) in patients who candidate for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG).


METHODS
The study subjects were enrolled from patients with coronary arteries disease referred from Shahid Madani Hospital (Tabriz, Iran), who have been candidate for elective CABG from January 2005 to August 2007. The common carotid arteries were evaluated with high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography using a 7.5- MHz linear-array transducer to determine the IMT and grade of stenosis. Serum hsCRP level was measured using commercially available enzyme linked immunosorbent assay kit.


RESULTS
Finally, information of 176 CABG candidates was analysed. The mean age of participants was 62.71 +/- 9.45 years with 1.63 male to female ratio. The mean of CCIMT was 0.69 +/- 0.54 mm. Although there was no significant correlation between serum hsCRP level and CCIMT in patients without carotid stenosis (p=0.113, r=0.186), participants with common carotid artery stenosis had higher levels of serum hsCRP than participants without stenosis (2.42+/-1.30 vs. 1.20+/-0.97 mg/dl; p=0.009).


CONCLUSIONS
Study results showed that there was no correlation between serum hsCRP level and CCIMT in patients without carotid stenosis, but patients with common carotid artery stenosis had higher levels of serum hsCRP than patients without stenosis.
Shakouri
Parvin
P
Department of Radiology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Shakouriparvin@hotmail.com
Nezami
Nariman
N
Tarzamni
Mohammad Kazem
MK
Rashid
Reza Javad
RJ
D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler
D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein