Relationships of Inflammatory Factors and Risk Factors with Different Target Organ Damage in Essential Hypertension Patients / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Atherosclerosis (AS) is an inflammatory disease. Inflammation was considered to play a role in the whole process of AS. This study aimed to analyze the relationships of inflammatory factors and risk factors with different target organ damages (TOD) in essential hypertension (EH) patients and to explore its clinical significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 294 EH patients were selected and divided into four groups according to their conditions of TOD. Forty-eight healthy subjects were selected as control. The clinical biochemical parameters, serum amyloid A, serum tryptase, and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) in each group were detected, and the related risk factors were also statistically analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Fibrinogen (Fbg) was the most significant independent risk factor in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) group (odds ratio [OR]: 22.242, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.458-76.609, P< 0.001) with the largest absolute value of the standardized partial regression coefficient B' (b': 1.079). Lp-PLA2 was the most significant independent risk factor in stroke group (OR: 13.699, 95% CI: 5.236-35.837, P< 0.001) with b' = 0.708. Uric acid (UA) was the most significant independent risk factor in renal damage group (OR: 15.307, 95% CI: 4.022-58.250, P< 0.001) with b' = 1.026.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Fbg, Lp-PLA2, and UA are the strongest independent risk factors toward the occurrence of ACS, ischemic stroke, and renal damage in EH patients, thus exhibiting the greatest impacts on the occurrence of ACS, ischemic stroke, and renal damage in EH patients, respectively.</p>

Relationship between coronary atherosclerosis plaque characteristics and high sensitivity C-reactive proteins, interleukin-6 / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The relationship between inflammatory markers and the characteristics of coronary atherosclerosis plaques is uncertain. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between the characteristics of coronary atherosclerosis plaques and inflammatory markers such as high sensitivity C-reactive proteins (Hs-CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>All patients suspected of having coronary heart disease (CHD) underwent Siemens 64-slice CT angiography (64-SCTA) to distinguish the quality of plaque of coronary artery lesions. Blood samples were taken to measure levels of serum Hs-CRP and IL-6 in different plaque groups and the control group and compared with the value of 64-SCTA for detection of coronary artery plaque.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The sensitivity of detecting coronary artery plaque by 64-SCTA was 87.4%, the specificity was 87.1%, the positive predictive value was 82.2%, and the negative predictive value was 91.0%. Comparing the levels of serum Hs-CRP and IL-6 among plaque groups, the mean levels of serum Hs-CRP and IL-6 in three plaque groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.01). The mean levels of serum Hs-CRP and IL-6 in the soft plaque group and mixed plaque group were significantly higher than those in hard plaque group (P < 0.01). Plaque burden in the soft plaque group and mixed plaque group was significantly higher than in the hard plaque group (P < 0.01), but there was no statistical difference between the soft plaque group and mixed plaque group (P = 0.246). There was a negative correlation between the CT scale and Hs-CRP and IL-6 levels in the soft plaque group (r = -0.621, P < 0.01, and r = -0.593, P < 0.01 respectively). There was a positive correlation between the plaque burden and Hs-CRP and IL-6 levels in the soft plaque group (r = 0.579, P < 0.05 and r = 0.429, P < 0.05 respectively).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>64-SCTA is an effective way to distinguish the different quality of coronary atherosclerosis plaque. Serum Hs-CRP and IL-6 levels can be considered as the indexes to judge the degree of CHD and may reflect the activity of plaque in CHD patients. Thus it is important for clinical diagnosis and risk evaluation of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients.</p>