title: Increased plasma C-reactive protein level predicts rapid progression of non-target atherosclerotic lesions in patients with stable angina after stenting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although the role of C-reactive protein (CRP) in predicting rapid progression of atherosclerotic lesions has been intensively studied in unstable coronary artery disease, the data from patients with stable angina (SA) are largely absent. The present study evaluated a middle-size patient cohort who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent implantation and follow-up coronary angiography (CAG) and tested the hypothesis that increased plasma level of high-sensitive CRP would indicate rapid progression of de novo non-target coronary artery lesions in Chinese patients with SA.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population comprised of 311 consecutive patients with chronic SA who underwent coronary stent implantation on initial admission and angiographic follow-up ((8.5 ± 1.2) months). Rapid angiographic progression of non-target lesion was angiographically assessed and the patients were classified into two groups according to whether the progression existed or not. The relation of plasma CRP levels to the progression of atherosclerosis was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline demographic, clinical, and angiographic data were similar in patients with and without progression. Rapid angiographic progression of non-target lesions occurred in 136 patients (43.7%) at follow-up: 77 had a ≥ 10% diameter reduction of pre-existing stenosis ≥ 50%, 26 had a ≥ 30% diameter reduction of a pre-existing stenosis < 50%, 64 developed a new lesion ≥ 30% in a previously normal segment, and 4 had progression of a lesion to total occlusion. Progression of non-target lesions was not associated with target lesion restenosis formation. High-sensitive CRP levels were markedly higher in progression patients than in non-progression ones (1.60 (0.80 - 3.46) mg/L vs. 0.96 (0.55 - 1.87) mg/L, P < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that plasma CRP independently predicted rapid angiographic progression of non-target lesions (P = 0.001). High-sensitive CRP levels above 1.32 mg/L (the cutoff value) were associated with a 3.5-fold increase in the risk of developing rapid atherosclerotic progression (OR = 3.497, 95%CI 2.045 - 5.980).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data confirmed and extended previous studies that plasma CRP might independently predict non-target lesion progression in patients with SA after stent implantation.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Fu Wai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.
authors: Yan-Lu
authors: YL
authors: Xu
authors: Jian-Jun
authors: JJ
authors: Li
authors: Bo
authors: B
authors: Xu
authors: Cheng-Gang
authors: CG
authors: Zhu
authors: Yue-Jin
authors: YJ
authors: Yang
authors: Ji-Lin
authors: JL
authors: Chen
authors: Shu-Bing
authors: SB
authors: Qiao
authors: Jin-Qing
authors: JQ
authors: Yuan
authors: Xue-Wen
authors: XW
authors: Qin
authors: Wei-Hua
authors: WH
authors: Ma
authors: Min
authors: M
authors: Yao
authors: Hai-Bo
authors: HB
authors: Liu
authors: Yong-Jian
authors: YJ
authors: Wu
authors: Jue
authors: J
authors: Chen
authors: Shi-Jie
authors: SJ
authors: You
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Dai
authors: Ran
authors: R
authors: Xia
authors: Run-Lin
authors: RL
authors: Gao
mesh_terms: D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000628:therapy*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015607:Stents
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein