title: Effect of serum interleukin 21 on the development of coronary artery disease.
abstract: There has been more and more evidence to confirm the essential role of inflammatory processes in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). Interleukin-21 (IL-21), the most recently discovered CD132-dependent cytokine, plays a key role in regulating inflammation. The aim of the study was to understand the effect of peripheral IL-21 on the pathogenesis and progression of CAD. Serum level of IL-21 in 92 CAD patients and 73 controls was measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data showed that IL-21 expression was significantly increased in CAD than in controls (p < 0.001). Interestingly, when comparing IL-21 level with different genders, male subjects revealed higher IL-21 than female subjects (p = 0.024). Also, we observed that patients with hypertension had upregulated level of serum IL-21 (p = 0.002). Moreover, serum level of IL-21 was positively correlated with total cholesterol level (p = 0.015) or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p = 0.0009) of CAD cases. In addition, we analyzed IL-21 level with the severity of CAD, and identified that cases with 3-vessel affected had significantly elevated level of IL-21 than those with 1-vessel or 2-vessel affected. These data suggested that serum level of IL-21 may be closely associated with the development and progression of CAD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ru
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Wenwu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Zhiqing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Mingfang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Sili
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Zonggui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D000098546:Interleukin-21
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D007378:Interleukins; D000098546:Interleukin-21
keywords: Interleukin 21; coronary artery disease; serum