Increased peripheral circulating inflammatory cells and plasma inflammatory markers in patients with variant angina.
BACKGROUND
Emerging data suggest that inflammation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease. However, the relation of inflammatory status to coronary vasospasm has been less investigated in patients with variant angina (VA).


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine peripheral circulating white blood cells as well as monocyte cells and plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in patients with VA, and to compare patients with VA, stable coronary artery disease, and controls with angiographically normal coronary arteries.


METHODS
Thirty-three consecutive patients with documented VA, 26 with stable coronary artery disease, and 22 normal controls (with angiographically normal coronary arteries) were involved in this study. The peripheral blood was taken, and white blood cells and monocyte cells were counted. The plasma concentrations of CRP and IL-6 were also evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).


RESULTS
The data showed that white blood cell counts and monocyte cell counts were significantly higher in patients of the VA group than in the other two groups (white blood cell counts: 7340+/-1893/mm vs. 6187+/-1748/mm vs. 5244+/-1532/mm, P<0.05, respectively; monocyte cell counts: 510+/-213/mm vs. 425+/-209/mm vs. 383+/-192/mm, P<0.05, respectively). Similarly, levels of plasma CRP and IL-6 were also significantly higher in patients of the VA group than in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CRP: 0.42+/-0.21 mg/l vs. 0.27+/-0.14 mg/l; IL-6: 10.4+/-1.0 pg/dl vs. 6.2+/-0.7 pg/dl, P<0.01, respectively), and patients with normal controls (CRP: 0.42+/-0.21 mg/l vs. 0.17+/-0.10 mg/l; IL-6: 10.4+/-1.0 pd/dl vs. 3.0+/-0.7 pg/dl, P<0.01, respectively). The multivariate analysis showed that CRP was the independent variable most strongly associated with VA.


CONCLUSIONS
Taken together, these findings suggested that more chronic, severe inflammation might be involved in the pathogenesis of VA, manifested by increased counts of circulating inflammatory cells and elevated plasma levels of CRP and IL-6.
Li
Jian-Jun
JJ
Department of Cardiology, Fu Wai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, PR China. lijnjn@yahoo.com.cn
Zhang
Yu-Ping
YP
Yang
Ping
P
Zeng
He-Song
HS
Qian
Xue-Wen
XW
Zhang
Chao-Yang
CY
Zhu
Chen-Gang
CG
Li
Jie
J
Nan
Jin-Long
JL
D000328:Adult; D000788:Angina Pectoris, Variant / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003329:Coronary Vasospasm / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D015999:Multivariate Analysis
D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D002097:C-Reactive Protein