Relationship between plasma inflammatory markers and plaque fibrous cap thickness determined by intravascular optical coherence tomography

Abstract

There is an inverse linear correlation between fibrous cap thickness and plasma levels of inflammatory markers. The plasma hs-CRP concentration is the strongest independent predictor of TCFA.

Evaluated plasma interleukin-18/interleukin-10 ratio is a risk factor for acute coronary syndromes in patients with stable angina pectoris

“…Inflammation not only promotes the occurrence of atherosclerosis and participates in the formation of vulnerable plaque [1][2][3], but also promotes the occurrence of ACS. As a pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-18 plays a central role in the inflammatory reaction [4], accelerating atherosclerosis progress, promoting atherosclerotic plaque transforming into vulnerable plaque phenotype which would make the occurrence of ACS [12][13][14]. IL-10 is a major anti-inflammatory cytokine, which can inhibit the activity of inflammatory cells and down-regulate the expression and biological activity of inflammatory cytokines, thus inhibiting the occurrence and development of ACS [8,14].…”

“…The mechanism of vulnerable plaque formation promoted by IL-18 may be: (1) IL-18 stimulates the release of a variety of pro-inflammatory mediators (such as TNF, IL-1b, IL-6, and iNOS etc.). These inflammatory factors, promote the macrophage apoptosis in atherosclerotic plaque [16][17][18], increase the lipid core in plaque; (2) macrophages activated by IL-18 can secrete matrix metalloproteinase and collagen, which can make the fibrous cap become thinner [12]. The current results of this study showed that the plasma IL-10 level in patients with ACS was lower than in those without ACS, suggesting that IL-10 may suppress the occurrence of ACS.…”

Almanac 2012: interventional cardiology

“…A key feature of unstable plaque is thin-cap atherosclerosis, and recent data remind us that the inflammatory environment is an important determinant of instability, an OCT study showing a clear association between the cap thickness of plaques and inflammatory plasma markers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (61).…”

Almanac 2012: Interventional cardiology

“…60 A key feature of unstable plaque is thin-cap atherosclerosis, and recent data remind us that the inflammatory environment is an important determinant of instability, an OCT study showing a clear association between the cap thickness of plaques and inflammatory plasma markers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. 61 …”