JTCS Speed Up Your Browser
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Author home page(s):
Aziz Momin
Lindsay C. John
Michael T. Marrinan
Jatin B. Desai
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Momin, A.
Right arrow Articles by Kearney, M. T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Momin, A.
Right arrow Articles by Kearney, M. T.
Related Collections
Right arrowRelated Article

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2007;134:335-341
© 2007 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Cardiopulmonary Support and Physiology

The association between saphenous vein endothelial function, systemic inflammation, and statin therapy in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery

Aziz Momin, MBBS, MRCSa,*, Narbeh Melikian, BSc, MBBS, MRCPa,*, Stephen B. Wheatcroft, PhD, MB, BCh, MRCPb, David Grieve, PhDa, Lindsay C. John, MD, FRCSc, Ahmad El Gamel, MD, FRCSc, Michael T. Marrinan, MD, FRCSc, Jatin B. Desai, MD, FRCSc, Catherine Driver, BScd, Roy Sherwood, PhD, FRCPathd, Ajay M. Shah, MD, FRCP, FMedScia, Mark T. Kearney, MD, MRCPb,*

a Cardiovascular Division, King’s College London School of Medicine at Guy’s, King’s College and St Thomas’ Hospitals, London, United Kingdom
b Leeds Institute for Genetics Health and Therapeutics, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
c Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, King’s College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
d Department of Clinical Biochemistry, King’s College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.

Received for publication July 18, 2006; revisions received November 30, 2006; * Address for reprints: Professor Mark Kearney, Leeds Institute for Genetics Health and Therapeutics, The LIGHT Laboratories, University of Leeds, Clarendon Way, Leeds LS1 3EX, United Kingdom. (Email: m.t.kearney{at}leeds.ac.uk).

Objectives: Endothelial dysfunction and C-reactive protein play a pivotal role in development of atherosclerosis and act as markers for future adverse cardiac events. Statins reduce C-reactive protein levels and improve endothelial function. However, little information is available on endothelial function and its determinants in veins. We investigated the association between saphenous vein endothelial function and C-reactive protein levels in patients treated with statins undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery.

Methods: Seventy-six patients with optimal low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (≤1.6 mmol/L) secondary to regular treatment with a minimum of simvastatin 40 mg were recruited. Each subject underwent detailed characterization according to anthropomorphic data, saphenous vein endothelial function (assessed ex vivo by measuring acetylcholine-induced relaxation of venous rings), and markers of systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein and tumor necrosis factor-{alpha}).

Results: Despite regular treatment with statins, 26% of patients had C-reactive protein levels in the "high-risk" range (>3.0 mg/L). There was a negative linear correlation between acetylcholine-induced venous relaxation and C-reactive protein (r = –.30, P = .02) and waist circumference (r = –0.21, P = .03). In a multivariate regression model, C-reactive protein (P = .02) was the only independent predictor of acetylcholine-induced venous relaxation. In turn, correlates of C-reactive protein were assessed. There was a correlation between C-reactive protein and coronary atherosclerotic burden (r = .46, P < .0001), body mass index (r = .26, P = .03), fasting glucose levels (r = .31, P = .01), and waist circumference (r = .29, P = .01). Using multivariate analysis, coronary atherosclerotic burden (P < .0001) was the only independent predictor of C-reactive protein.

Conclusions: In our cohort of patients with coronary artery disease, C-reactive protein level was the only independent predictor of saphenous vein endothelial function. In turn, its levels were independently influenced by the extent of coronary atherosclerotic burden.

Abbreviations and Acronyms ACE = angiotensin-converting enzyme; ACh = acetylcholine; BMI = body mass index; CABG = coronary artery bypass graft; CAD = coronary artery disease; CRP = C-reactive protein; HDL = high-density lipoprotein; LDL = low-density lipoprotein; L-NMMA = NG monomethyl-L-arginine; NO = nitric oxide; QCA = quantitative coronary angiography; SNP = sodium nitroprusside; TNF{alpha} = tumor necrosis factor-{alpha}


Related Article

Does C-reactive protein predict saphenous vein graft patency?
Hwee Teoh, Adrian Quan, and Subodh Verma
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. 2007 134: 277-279. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
F. Lovren, Y. Pan, P. C. Shukla, A. Quan, H. Teoh, P. E. Szmitko, M. D. Peterson, M. Gupta, M. Al-Omran, and S. Verma
Visfatin activates eNOS via Akt and MAP kinases and improves endothelial cell function and angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo: translational implications for atherosclerosis
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, June 1, 2009; 296(6): E1440 - E1449.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg.Home page
K. I. Paraskevas
Applications of statins in cardiothoracic surgery: more than just lipid-lowering
Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., March 1, 2008; 33(3): 377 - 390.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Exp PhysiolHome page
M. T. Kearney, E. R. Duncan, M. Kahn, and S. B. Wheatcroft
Insulin resistance and endothelial cell dysfunction: studies in mammalian models
Exp Physiol, January 1, 2008; 93(1): 158 - 163.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg.Home page
H. Teoh, A. Quan, and S. Verma
Does C-reactive protein predict saphenous vein graft patency?
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., August 1, 2007; 134(2): 277 - 279.
[Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANN THORAC SURG ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG
J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG ICVTS ALL CTSNet JOURNALS
Copyright © 2007 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery.