Increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines in children with family history of coronary artery disease.
BACKGROUND
Parental history of coronary artery disease (CAD) is considered an important risk factor for early atherosclerosis


OBJECTIVE
The onset of the inflammatory process of atherosclerosis initiates early during childhood in children with positive family history (PFH) of CAD.


METHODS
We studied 55 healthy children (5-15 years), 30 (16 male) with PFH and 25 age and sex matched control subjects. Blood samples were taken to measure white blood count (WBC), glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (SDE), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a). We performed cultures on monocytes (from peripheral blood) measuring in the cell culture supernatants the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-a, by using the immunoassay ELISA method.


RESULTS
: Higher values of body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol, LDL, cholesterol, TG, SDE, leucocytes, and CRP were calculated in children with PFH. Significantly higher values of cytokines in monocell cultures were measured in the PFH group compared to the control group (IL-6 = 139.32 +/- 80.84 pg/ml versus 14.30 +/- 12.97 pg/ml, p < 0.001 and TNF-a = 39.91 +/- 11.80 pg/ml versus 8.65 +/- 4.35 pg/ml, p < 0.001). IL-6 values in plasma and cultures were found independently associated with PFH of premature CAD (p < 0.001, p = 0.005, respectively). A similar relation was found for TNF-a values measured in cultures (p = 0.005) and CRP values in plasma (p < 0.001). The values of IL-6 were found proportionally related to TG.


CONCLUSIONS
In individuals with PFH of CAD the inflammatory process of atheromatosis appears to begin early in childhood. Except for triglycerides, this inflammatory process appears to occur independently of several traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
Hippokrateion University Hospital of Thessaloniki, Greece. elecfkou@gmail.com
Lefkou
L
E
N
N
Fragakis
E
E
Ioannidou
A
A
Bounda
S
S
Theodoridou
P
P
Klonizakis
V
V
Garipidou
D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008055:Lipids; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein