Direct association between C-reactive protein serum levels and endothelial dysfunction in patients with claudication

Objectives. To evaluate the relationship between C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP), a serum marker of inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction in patients with intermittent claudication. Design, Patients and Methods. Cross-sectional study with stratified sampling on dependent variables of age, genre, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking status and ankle-brachial index (ABI) to select 156 patients from a target population of 4,100 patients with claudication. We assessed the flow-mediated arterial dilation (FMAD) as a reporter of endothelial function and plasma levels of hsCRP and fibrinogen. Results. Patients with a FMAD < 3% (range for the lowest 5% of healthy subjects) had increased levels of plasma hsCRP (6.3 vs 2.3 mg/L; p < 0.05) and fibrinogen (351vs 302 mg/L; p < 0.05) in comparison to those with FMAD > 3%. There was a negative correlation between hsCRP and FMAD(r = -0.465; p < 0.05). Conclusion. Impaired endothelial dysfunction is association with increased plasma concentrations of inflammatory markers, and both may have a role in the aetiopathogenesis of peripheral arterial disease. (C) 2007 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.