[Roles of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, RANTES and Fractalkine on promoting vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaques].
OBJECTIVE
To elucidate the roles of monocyte chemotactic factors (MCP-1, RANTES and Fractalkine) on the vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaques in patients with stable (SAP) and unstable angina pectoris (UAP).


METHODS
Patients with SAP (n = 50) and UAP (n = 50) underwent coronary angiography (CAG) and intravenous ultrasound (IVUS) were included in the study. Monocyte chemotaxis was assayed by the transwell chamber. Concentrations of hs-CRP, MCP-1, RANTES and Fractalkine were measured by Enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay (ELISA). mRNA expression of MCP-1, RANTES and Fractalkine in the monocytes was detected by RT-PCR.


RESULTS
IVUS evidenced soft lipid plaques in 48% UAP patients and in 16% SAP patients (P < 0.05). SAP patients had mainly fibrous and mixed plaques. Plaque burden and vascular remodeling index were significantly higher in UAP patients than in SAP patients (P < 0.01). The averaged number of migrated monocytes in the UAP patients were higher than that in patients with SAP (P < 0.01). Concentration of hs-CRP, MCP-1, RANTES and Fractalkine were significantly higher in UAP patients than those of SAP patients (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). mRNA expression of MCP-1, RANTES and Fractalkine in patients with UAP was significantly higher than those of SAP patients (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Upregulated monocyte chemotactic factors (MCP-1, RANTES and Fractalkine) might promote coronary plaque vulnerability in UAP patients.
Department of Cardiology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
Tian-jun
TJ
Qi
Wen-qiang
WQ
Chen
Cui-ling
CL
Jiang
Tian-hao
TH
Yang
Mei-qing
MQ
Zhai
Da-qing
DQ
Li
Bei-an
BA
You
Gui-peng
GP
An
Xiao-bo
XB
Hu
Yu-guo
YG
Chen
Yun
Y
Zhang
Ji-fu
JF
Li
D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000378:metabolism*; D054428:Chemokine CX3CL1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000473:pathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics
C111835:CCL2 protein, human; C483024:CCL5 protein, human; C515538:CX3CL1 protein, human; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D018946:Chemokine CCL5; D054428:Chemokine CX3CL1; D012333:RNA, Messenger