Chemokines in patients with ischaemic heart disease and the effect of coronary angioplasty

Percutaneous coronary transluminal angioplasty (PTCA) may release inflammatory mediators such as chemokines. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and eotaxin (EOX) are monocyte- and eosinophil-specific chemokines involved in the inflammation and pathogenesis of coronary atherosclerosis. A total of 28 patients undergoing elective PTCA, 20 coronary artery disease (CAD) patients undergoing coronary angiography and 28 healthy controls were studied. In PTCA patients before the procedure, MCP-1 plasma levels (441 +/- 64 pg/ml) were similar to those of CAD patients (430 +/- 24 pg/ml), and significantly higher compared with controls (145 +/-7 pg/ml, P <0.01). MCP-1 rose significantly after 3 and 6 months following PTCA (696 +/- 89 and 876 +/- 86 pg/ml, respectively, P <0.01 vs. before PTCA). EOX plasma levels (155 +/- 14 pg/ml) were similar to those of CAD patients (157 +/- 14 pg/ml), but significantly higher compared with controls (83.2 +/- 10 pg/ml, P <0.05). EOX rose significantly 24 h (273 +/- 41 pg/ml, P <0.05) but not 3 months after PTCA (160 +/- 20 and 158 +/- 19 pg/ml, respectively). These findings indicate that chemokine-induced monocyte- and eosinophil-specific chemoattraction is stimulated in patients with coronary artery disease. MCP-I levels remain significantly elevated for at least 6 months following elective PTCA, suggesting an inflammatory stimulation, (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.