Objectives. To investigate the potential association of a set of serum cytokines with the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods. A total of 201 patients who underwent coronary angiography for chest discomfort were enrolled. The concentrations of serum IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-9, and IL-17 were determined by xMAP multiplex technology. The CAD severity was assessed by Gensini score (GS). Results. The serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, and IL-17 were significantly higher in high GS group (GS ≥ 38.5) than those in low GS group (GS < 38.5). Positive correlations were also found between these cytokines and the severity of CAD. After adjustment for other associated factors, three serum cytokines (IL-6, IL-9, and IL-17) and two clinical risk factors (creatinine and LDL-C) were identified as the independent predictors of increased severity of CAD. ROC curve analysis revealed that the logistic regression risk prediction model had a good performance on predicting CAD severity. Conclusions. Combinatorial analysis of serum cytokines (IL-6, IL-9, and IL-17) with clinical risk factors (creatinine and LDL-C) may contribute to the evaluation of the severity of CAD and may help guide the risk stratification of angina patients, especially in primary health facilities and in the catheter lab resource-limited settings.

18 potentially eligible articles were identified. In a combined analysis, the 5A allele of the MMP-3 5A/6A polymorphism was associated with MI (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.46, p=0.04), suggesting its role in plaque rupture. In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, significantly increased risk was found among East Asians (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.91, p=0.04), whereas no significant association was detected in Caucasian populations. In addition, there were significant associations of the MMP-9 -1562C→T polymorphism with MI (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.27, p=0.02), whereas the heterogeneity of the studies showed no significance (I(2)=13.7%, p=0.32). This meta-analysis demonstrated that the MMP-3 5A/6A and MMP-9 -1562 C→T polymorphisms are risk factors associated with increased MI susceptibility, but these associations vary in different ethnic populations.

The Apolipoprotein A5 (APO A5) -1131T/C, fibrinogen β (FgB) -455G/A, -148C/T, and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) TaqIB gene polymorphisms have been indicated to be associated with the coronary artery disease (CAD) risk, but the individual study results are still inconsistent. To explore the relationship between APO A5 -1131T/C, FgB -455G/A, -148C/T, and CETP TaqIB gene polymorphisms and CAD in the Chinese population, the current meta-analysis involving 15,055 subjects from 40 individual studies was conducted. The pooled odds ratio (OR) for the association between APO A5 -1131T/C, FgB -455G/A, -148C/T, and CETP TaqIB gene polymorphisms and CAD and its corresponding 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) were evaluated by random or fixed effect model. A significant association between APO A5 -1131T/C gene polymorphism and CAD in the Chinese population was found under an allelic (OR: 1.33, 95 % CI: 1.22-1.44, P < 0.00001), recessive (OR: 1.67, 95 % CI: 1.25-2.25, P = 0.0006), dominant (OR: 0.820, 95 % CI: 0.767-0.876, P = 1.0 × 10(-10)), homozygous (OR: 2.36, 95 % CI: 1.55-3.58, P < 0.0001) and heterozygous genetic models (OR: 1.136, 95 % CI:1.075-1.200, P = 1.0 × 10(-10)). A significant association between FgB -455G/A gene polymorphism and CAD was also detected in the Chinese population under an allelic (OR: 1.50, 95 % CI: 1.25-1.81, P < 0.0001), dominant (OR: 0.864, 95 % CI: 0.819-0.912, P = 1.0 × 10(-10)), homozygous (OR: 1.616, 95 % CI: 1.213-2.152, P = 0.001) and heterozygous genetic models (OR: 1.245, 95 % CI:1.138-1.361, P = 1.0 × 10(-10)). No significant association was found between them under a recessive genetic model (OR: 1.124, 95 % CI: 0.844-1.497, P = 0.424). A significant association was also found between FgB -148C/T gene polymorphism and CAD in the Chinese population under an allelic (OR: 1.34, 95 % CI: 1.06-1.71, P = 0.02), recessive (OR: 1. 65, 95 % CI: 1.02-2.69, P = 0.04), dominant (OR: 0.924, 95 % CI: 0.872-0.978, P = 0.007) and homozygous genetic models (OR: 0.968, 95 % CI: 0.942-0.995, P = 0.018). No significant association was found between them under a heterozygous genetic model (OR: 0.979, 95 % CI: 0.937-1.023, P = 0.342). In the whole Chinese population, no significant association between the CETP TaqIB gene polymorphism and CAD was found under an allelic (OR: 1.17, 95 % CI: 0.94-1.45, P = 0.15), dominant (OR: 1.46, 95 % CI: 0.80-2.67, P = 0.22) or recessive genetic models (OR: 0.68, 95 % CI: 0.32-1.44, P = 0.31). However, in the subgroup analysis stratified by ethnicity, there was a significant association between them under an allelic (OR: 1.27, 95 % CI: 1.07-1.52, P = 0.007) and dominant genetic model (OR: 2.04, 95 % CI: 1.49-2.79, P < 0.00001) in the Han subgroup. In the Chinese population, the APO A5 -1131T/C and FgB -455G/A, -148C/T gene polymorphisms were implied to be associated with CAD susceptibility. The APO A5 -1131C, FgB -455A, and -148T alleles might confer susceptibility to CAD. CETP TaqIB gene polymorphism was suggested to be associat...

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2012;14:245–249. ©2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Atorvastatin is postulated to improve arterial stiffness in patients with diabetes mellitus or hypercholesterolemia; however, in elderly hypertensive patients, its effect on arterial stiffness and the possible mechanisms are unknown. A total of 73 elderly hypertensive patients were enrolled to receive atorvastatin for 6 months. Brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and circulating biomarkers were measured before and after the intervention. After 6 months of treatment, the patients experienced a 19.66% reduction in low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (2.90±0.58 vs 2.33±0.56 mmol/L, P<.01) and a 10.63% reduction in baPWV (2100.89±513.21 vs 1877.56±432.06 cm/s, P=.01). In addition, a 21.79% reduction in circulating N‐(epsilon)‐carboxymethyl‐lysine and a 20% reduction in Von Willebrand factor level were observed after treatment. Meanwhile, the activity of copper/zinc‐containing superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) was increased by 26.64% (5.04±1.01 vs 6.87±1.83 U/L, P<.001). Correlation analysis demonstrated that the increase of Cu/Zn SOD activity was related to the reductions of arterial stiffness (r=−0.340, P=.003). Taken together, these findings suggest that atorvastatin can improve arterial stiffness possibly by reducing oxidative stress levels in elderly hypertensive patients.