title: An update on the role of markers of inflammation in atherosclerosis.
abstract: In recent years, several studies have used the measurement of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) as a marker of early atherosclerosis: IMT has been shown to correlate significantly with the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and to predict fatal and not fatal cerebro- and cardio-vascular events. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing and managing early stages of atherosclerosis for effective cardiovascular prevention. Beyond traditional established cardiovascular risk factors, inflammation has been shown to be crucial throughout atherosclerosis from endothelial dysfunction to plaque rupture and thrombosis. Several studies have shown the existence of a strong relation between CAD and fibrinogen or highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels and their predictive role has been examined through stratification or multivariable statistical analyses: levels of these markers of inflammation have been independently associated with the incidence of coronary events after adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Recent studies have further addressed the importance of therapeutical modulation of hs-CRP levels in high-risk patients for the prevention of vascular events. The strong relationship between hs-CRP and IMT may potentially account for the complex role of hs-CRP and IMT in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular events. However, beyond the utility of measuring markers of inflammation to assess patients with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis at higher risk of vascular events, further studies are needed to evaluate the therapeutic implications in this category of patients.
authors.affiliation: Chair of Cardiovascular Diseases, Division of Cardiology & Post-Graduate School of Cardiology, University Hospital Paolo Giaccone of the University of Palermo, Italy. egle.corrado@livero.it
authors.forename: Egle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Corrado
authors.forename: Manfredi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coppola
authors.forename: Khalil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fattouch
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Novo
authors.forename: Ilenia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marturana
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Novo
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers