Transcoronary concentration gradient of sCD40L and hsCRP in patients with coronary heart disease

Background: Recent studies indicated that local inflammation played a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease. Soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) and hsC-reactive protein (hsCRP) are important inflammatory mediators. However, whether they can reflect local coronary inflammation is unclear. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that transcoronary concentration gradient of sCD40L could reflect local inflammation in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) more reliably. Methods: Forty subjects were divided into unstable angina pectoris (UAP) group (n = 20), stable angina pectoris (SAP) group (n = 10), and controls (n = 10). Blood samples were collected from the coronary sinus (CS), aortic root (AO), and femoral vein (FV). The coronary circulation was expressed as CS-AO difference, while system circulation was expressed as FV-AO difference. sCD40L and hs-CRP were measured. Results: Complex lesions were more frequent in the UAP group than in the SAP group (85% vs. 40%, p < 0.05). CS-AO differences of sCD40L were much greater in the UAP group than in the SAP or control groups, and were greatly higher than FV-AO difference in UAP group (465.49 +/- 247.85 pg/mL vs. -14.94 +/- 83.41 pg/mL; 465.49 +/- 247.85 pg/mL vs. -7.66 +/- 78.54 pg/mL; 465.49 +/- 247.85 pg/mL vs. -7.99 +/- 141.34 pg/mL, all p < 0.001). CS-AO differences of sCD40L were higher in patients with complex lesions than with smooth lesions (657.86 +/- 384.76 pg/mL vs. 317.62 +/- 409.98 pg/mL, p < 0.01). There were no significant differences of CS-AO in hs-CRP among the three groups. Conclusions: In patients with CHD, the transcoronary concentration gradient of sCD40L is more sensitive than hsCRP, and sCD40L possibly a better marker of local inflammtion and plaque instability.