A.M. SYRODOEV¹, E.YU. ESINA², A.A. PASHKOVA²

 ¹Medical and Surgical Clinic, Lipetsk

²N.N. Burdenko Voronezh State Medical University, Voronezh

 Contact details:

Syrodoev A.M. — cardiologist

Address: 10A Kuznechnaya St., 398050 Lipetsk, Russian Federation, tel.: +7 (4742) 515-911, e-mail: anton.syrodoev@mail.ru

 The purpose — to assess the relationship between interleukin-18 levels and the severity of stenotic lesions of the coronary and carotid arteries in patients with stable coronary artery disease.

Material and methods. The study included 109 patients with stable coronary artery disease of functional classes I–III. Serum interleukin-18 levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The severity of coronary artery lesions was evaluated by selective coronary angiography, and carotid artery involvement was assessed by duplex ultrasound scanning. Statistical analysis was performed using nonparametric methods, including Spearman correlation analysis.

Results. Interleukin-18 levels increased significantly with the progression of functional class of coronary artery disease (p < 0.001). Significant differences were found in the severity of coronary artery stenosis and the number of affected vessels between patient groups. A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between interleukin-18 levels and the number of coronary arteries with significant stenosis (ρ = 0.617; p <0 .001), as well as with lesions of individual coronary and carotid arteries.

Conclusion. Elevated interleukin-18 levels are associated with more severe atherosclerotic lesions of the coronary and carotid arteries in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Interleukin-18 may be considered a potential biomarker of inflammatory activity and severity of vascular involvement.

Key words: interleukin-18, coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, coronary arteries, carotid arteries

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