Inflammatory biomarkers and chemoattractants characteristic and important for different types (lipid; inflammatory erosive; degenerative necrotic) of unstable plaques in coronary arteries were identified and studied in male patients with coronary atherosclerosis without acute coronary syndrome we studied. Among the three types of unstable plaques, elevated concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 were characteristic of not only inflammatory erosive type, but also lipid type compared with degenerative necrotic type. Thus, intensification of the inflammatory process plays an important role in the development of not only inflammatory and destructive, but also of lipid type of unstable atherosclerotic plaques.

Oxidative and antioxidant parameters (content of LPO products and oxidized proteins, initial level of paraoxonase, content of alpha-tocopherol, retinol, and beta-carotene) were studied at different stages of atherosclerotic foci development in coronary arteries: intact intima, lipid spot, stable young plaque, unstable plaque, stable plaque with fibrosis/ calcinosis, and in various types of unstable plaques. The most typical sign of unstable plaques is high level of LPO products and low retinol content.

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