Inflammation, atherosclerotic burden and cardiovascular prognosis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of various inflammatory markers on atherosclerotic burden and cardiovascular prognosis. METHODS: In a prospective study 720 patients preceding coronary angiography were enrolled. In all patients carotid and leg arteries were examined using sonographic methods and C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, interleukin-18 (IL-18) and interleukin-6 have been determined. Patients were compared with regard to atherosclerotic burden: no clinically significant stenosis (N=57, 7.9%), coronary artery disease only (N=362, 50.3%), coronary artery disease with peripheral atherosclerosis (=multi-vascular atherosclerosis, N=301, 41.8%). RESULTS: Follow-up data after a median of 6.5 years were available in 719 patients (99.9%), 75 patients (10.4%) died from cardiovascular causes. Presence of multi-vascular atherosclerosis, elevation of IL-18 and elevation of fibrinogen were independently related to cardiovascular death in a fully adjusted model Hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) 2.0 (1.2-3.5) for presence of multi-vascular atherosclerosis (P<0.01), 2.2 (1.2-3.9) for high fibrinogen (P<0.01) and 2.8 (1.6-4.9) for high IL-18 (P<0.0001)). Fibrinogen was achieved as independent predictor for both, mortality and atherosclerotic burden, whereas IL-18 was not related to atherosclerotic burden. CONCLUSIONS: IL-18 was an independent predictor for future cardiovascular death but was not associated with extent of atherosclerosis, whereas fibrinogen was independently related to cardiovascular death and extent of disease.