Korean J Med.  2012 Jan;82(1):45-51.

Elevated hs-CRP in Patients with Stable Angina Pectoris

• Choi EJ
• Shin MH
• Kang WY
• Hwang SH
• Kim W
• Bak SW

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
The association between inflammatory markers and the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with stable angina pectoris remains controversial. This study explored the relationships between the serum high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) level and severity of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with stable angina.
METHODS
The study enrolled 377 stable angina patients (298 males, 79 females) undergoing coronary angiography from June 2006 to August 2010. Based on the coronary angiography results, they were divided into two groups according to the diameter of stenosis (DS): Group I (DS > or = 50%) and Group II (DS < 50%). Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between the hs-CRP level (high hs-CRP > or = 3.0 mg/L versus low hs-CRP < 3.0 mg/L) and the severity of coronary stenosis.
RESULTS
Group I had higher hs-CRP levels than Group II [median hs-CRP (interquartile range); 0.70 (0.3-1.66) versus 1.11 (0.52-3.41) mg/L, p < 0.001]. After adjusting for major cardiovascular risk factors, a high hs-CRP level was significantly related to the severity of coronary atherosclerosis (OR 1.95, 95% CI = 1.16-3.30).
CONCLUSIONS
Our data show that patients with > or = 50% coronary stenosis have higher hs-CRP levels than patients with < 50% coronary stenosis and stable angina. Further study is needed to define the role of hs-CRP in the progression of angina pectoris.

Keyword

Atherosclerosis; C-reactive protein; Coronary stenosis; Coronary angiography

MeSH Terms

Angina Pectoris
Angina, Stable
Atherosclerosis
C-Reactive Protein
Constriction, Pathologic
Coronary Angiography
Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary Stenosis
Humans
Logistic Models
Male
Risk Factors
C-Reactive Protein