Plasma Concentrations of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1 (MCP-1) and Neopterin in the Coronary Circulation of Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: Association with the Severity of Coronary Atherosclerosis

Abstract

Background: The dynamics of MCP-1 and neopterin and the relation between their concentrations in coronary circulation and the severity of coronary atherosclerosis were evaluated in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods and Results: Blood samples were obtained from the aortic root (Ao) and coronary sinus (CS) of 78 patients who underwent coronary angiography. Plasma MCP-1 and neopterin concentrations were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method and the CS-Ao differences were calculated. The severity of coronary heart disease (CHD) was evaluated in 52 patients who had no history of coronary angioplasty, using 3 coronary scoring systems: the clinical 1- to 3-vessel disease score, the American Heart Association extension score (1-15 segments), and the Gensini score. The plasma MCP-1 and neopterin concentrations increased significantly with age. The CS-Ao differences for neopterin showed weak, but significant, positive correlation with the Gensini score (r=0.347, p=0.013). There were no correlations among the MCP-1 concentrations in the Ao or CS, or in the CS-Ao difference, with the severity of CHD. Conclusions: The results indicate that neopterin is a useful marker of the severity of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with stable CAD, acting as an index of the activity of monocytes/macrophages.