title: Association of systemic inflammation markers with the presence and extent of coronary artery calcification.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a marker for the presence and extent of coronary atherosclerotic plaques and can be detected non-invasively by multi-detector row CT (MDCT). Well known predictors of CAC are age, gender, and the classical atherogenic risk factors. CAC is associated with atherosclerotic plaque burden, but it is still elusive if atherosclerosis-relevant cytokines and chemokines are also associated with CAC.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a clinical study among 455 consecutive individuals who underwent coronary calcium assessment performed by MDCT. Before MDCT, blood was drawn and subsequently analyzed for 20 different atherosclerosis-relevant cytokines and chemokines using a Luminex-laser-based fluorescence analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using univariate analyses, CAC patients revealed significantly higher levels of the chemokines IP-10 (P=0.047) and eotaxin (P=0.031) as compared to non-CAC patients. In multivariate analyses using common thresholds for calcium burden, the three cytokines interleukin-6 (P=0.028), interleukin-8 (P=0.009), and interleukin-13 (P=0.024) were associated with high coronary calcium levels after adjustment for classical variables and risk factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a large group of individuals with atypical chest pain and a low to intermediate likelihood for coronary artery disease elevated plasma levels of IL-6 and reduced levels of IL-8 and IL-13 were predictive for distinct coronary artery calcification. These findings support a specific role of these cytokines in coronary calcification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany. Dorette.Raaz@uk-erlangen.de
authors.forename: Dorette
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raaz-Schrauder
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klinghammer
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baum
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lewczuk
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Achenbach
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cicha
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stumpf
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiltfang
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kornhuber
authors.forename: Werner G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: Christoph D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Garlichs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers