Potential roles of IL-38, among other inflammation-related biomarkers, in predicting post-percutaneous coronary intervention cardiovascular events.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), as a relatively rapid and effective minimally invasive treatment for coronary heart disease (CHD), can effectively relieve coronary artery stenosis and restore myocardial perfusion. However, the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) is a significant challenge for post PCI care. To better understand risk/benefit indicators and provide post PCI MACE prediction, 408 patients with CHD who had undergone PCI treatment from 2018 to 2021 in Tianjin Chest hospital were retrospectively studied for their clinical characteristics in relation with the MACE occurrence during a 12-month follow-up. In the study, 194 patients had MACE and 214 patients remained MACE-free. Using uni- and multivariate regression analyses, we have shown that smoking history, elevated serum C-reactive protein levels (hs-CRP), and high haemoglobin levels A1c (HbA1c) are all independent risk factors for MACE after PCI. Furthermore, we have discovered that the serum level of IL-38, one of the latest members identified in the IL-1 cytokine family, is another predictive factor and is reversely related to the occurrence of MACE. The serum level of IL-38 alone is capable of predicting non-MACE occurrence in subcategorized patients with abnormal levels of hs-CRP and/or HbA1c.

Impact of the anti-inflammatory diet on serum high-sensitivity C-Reactive protein and new-onset frailty in community-dwelling older adults: A 7-year follow-up of the Kashiwa cohort study.

AIM: Chronic inflammation is a pathophysiological cause of age-related diseases, including frailty. Although diet is a determinant of inflammation, few prospective studies have investigated its role in frailty onset. This study used the dietary inflammatory index to investigate whether a proinflammatory diet affects the incidence of frailty in a 7-year follow-up of older Japanese adults. METHODS: We enrolled community-dwelling older adults without frailty from the 2014 Kashiwa cohort study. Energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E-DII) scores were calculated using a brief self-administered diet history questionnaire. Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels were measured by immunoassays. Frailty was defined as meeting three of Fried's five phenotypic criteria. Cox regression was used to analyze associations between E-DII scores and new-onset frailty after adjusting for relevant confounders. RESULTS: Overall, 95 (11.7%) of 811 participants (73.7 ± 4.8 years, women 47.3%) developed new-onset frailty during the 7-year follow-up. The baseline E-DII scores significantly correlated with log-hsCRP levels, even after adjustment (ß = 0.075, P = 0.035). The highest tertile of E-DII scores (proinflammatory diet) showed a 2.03 times (95% confidence interval, 1.22-3.36) higher risk of new-onset frailty than that associated with the lowest tertile (P = 0.006). When E-DII was calculated on the basis of anti-inflammatory food parameters only, the highest tertile showed a 2.32 times (95% confidence interval, 1.36-3.95) higher risk than that associated with the lowest tertile (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: E-DII scores significantly correlated with serum hsCRP levels. High E-DII scores caused by low intake of anti-inflammatory foods are associated with frailty incidence. For community-dwelling older adults, dietary interventions that lower E-DII scores (e.g., encouraging dietary fiber intake) may help prevent frailty. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 189-195.

Association of Duration of Smoking Cessation or Cumulative Smoking Amount with Serum hs-CRP Level in Korean Adults: A Nationwide Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

This study investigates the association between the duration of smoking cessation or cumulative smoking amount with serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels. We assessed the decreasing risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer following smoking cessation in Korean adults who were former smokers compared with current smokers. This study used data from the 2016−2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A total of 5411 participants were included. The duration of smoking cessation and cumulative smoking amount were classified into cut-offs for 6 and 17 months, and 5 and 20 pack-years, respectively, using tertile values. Elevated serum hs-CRP level was defined as ≥1 mg/L. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. The odds ratio (OR) for elevated serum hs-CRP level was 0.73 times lower in the group whose duration of smoking cessation was 17 months or more than that in the group who were current smokers after adjusting for confounding variables (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.57−0.92; p < 0.01). The OR for elevated serum hs-CRP level was 0.71 and 0.67 times lower in the groups whose cumulative smoking amounts were less than 5 and 5−20 pack-years than that in the group who were current smokers (95% CI: 0.50−0.99 and 0.50−0.92, respectively; both p < 0.05). This study reveals that a duration of smoking cessation of more than 17 months and a cumulative smoking amount of less than 20 pack-years were significantly associated with a decreased risk of elevated serum hs-CRP levels in Korean adults who were former smokers. Therefore, quitting smoking early and a low cumulative smoking amount are a potential preventive strategy for CVD and cancer that can be easily accessible using serum hs-CRP.

Impact of root canal treatment on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in systemically healthy adults with apical periodontitis - a preliminary prospective, longitudinal interventional study.

AIM: To assess the influence of root canal treatment on serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels in systemically healthy human adults. METHODOLOGY: Fifteen individuals aged 20-40 years diagnosed with apical periodontitis [Periapical Index (PAI) score ≥3] who were otherwise healthy took part in this prospective interventional study. Patients with moderate to severe periodontitis, systemic diseases and traditional cardiac risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and smoking) were excluded. Root canal treatment was completed in two visits with an inter-appointment calcium hydroxide intracanal medicament. After 6 months, healing of apical periodontitis was evaluated clinically and radiographically, and serum hsCRP levels were recorded. A paired sample T-test was used to compare the mean hsCRP values between the pre- and post-treatment groups. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare hsCRP values between patients with PAI scores of 3 and 4, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare pre- and postoperative PAI scores. RESULTS: The mean preoperative baseline serum hsCRP level was 2.88 ± 1.06 mg L-1 which can be associated with a moderate risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Based on the preoperative hsCRP levels, eight of the 15 patients were categorized as high risk (hsCRP > 3 mg L-1 ) and the other seven as medium risk (hsCRP 1-3 mg L-1 ) for CVD. The mean preoperative hsCRP value of patients with a PAI score of 3 was 2.88 ± 1.19 mg L-1 , and the mean preoperative hsCRP of patients with a PAI score of 4 was 2.87 ± 0.15 mg L-1 , which was not significantly different (P = 0.942). Six months after root canal treatment, the mean PAI score had significantly reduced from 3.2 ± 0.42 to 1.4 ± 0.69 (P = 0.003). The PAI score had reduced to ≤2 in 87% of the patients, and the mean serum hsCRP levels had significantly reduced to 1.34 ± 0.52 mg L-1 (P < 0.001). Ten of the 15 patients had a reduction in their CVD risk status. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that root canal treatment can reduce serum hsCRP levels in systemically healthy individuals with apical periodontitis.

Association between dietary inflammatory index and serum C-reactive protein concentrations in the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study.

Diet plays an important role in the regulation of chronic inflammation, which is linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and several cancers. The dietary inflammatory index (DII®) was developed to estimate the inflammatory potential of an individual's diet. We examined the association between DII scores and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations using the baseline data from the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study (JACC Study). Data were from 1176 control subjects (650 men and 526 women) in a nested case-control study of several cancers and CVD in the JACC Study who were free of cancer and CVD at baseline. DII scores were calculated from 26 food parameters that were derived from a validated food frequency questionnaire administered at the baseline. Energy-adjusted DII scores were calculated using the residual method. Serum hs-CRP concentrations were measured by latex-enhanced nephelometry or enzyme-immunoassay. In multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusting for potential confounders including sex, age, smoking habits, drinking habits, body mass index, and history of hypertension, the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for high serum hs-CRP concentrations (>1.0 mg/L) was significantly higher in the highest versus the lowest DII quartile (ORQuartile4vs1 = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.01 to 2.52). Likewise, a 1-point increase in DII score was associated with a 14% increased risk of high serum hs-CRP concentrations (ORContinuous = 1.09, 95%CI = 1.01 to 1.19). A pro-inflammatory diet, as represented by high DII scores, was associated with high serum hs-CRP concentrations in this Japanese population.