Correlation between High Sensitive C-Reactive Protein and Aortic Stiffness Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Known/Suspected Coronary Artery Disease
Pattraporn Srirattana MD*, Thananya Boonyasirinant MD*
Affiliation : *Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Background : High sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), a representative of an inflammatory cascade, has been established
as a crucial independent risk factor of atherosclerosis from prior studies. Like Aortic stiffness, an indirect index of arterial
distensibility, has a promising role in the forecast of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) via
cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is one of the most reliable parameters of aortic stiffness. Nevertheless, the
relationship between these two predictors has not been explored. The present study aims to prove the hypothesis that aortic
stiffness, assessed by PWV, is related to an inflammatory process.
Objective : To determine the relationship between hs-CRP and PWV using velocity-encoded CMR.
Material and Method: Ninety patients referring for CMR owing to known or suspected coronary artery disease at Siriraj
Hospital were consecutively enrolled into the present study from October 2010 to February 2011. Informed consent and
baseline characteristic were recorded. Aortic stiffness, as assessed by PWV using CMR, was calculated as the ratio of distance
from mid ascending to descending aorta (m) divided by time delay measured at 2 according sites (sec) hs-CRP was analyzed
using Immunonephelometry assay by Seimens. The correlation between PWV and hs-CRP was analyzed using Pearson
correlation method.
Results : The authors enrolled 90 patients with 48 male (53.3%), with a mean age of 68 + 10 years. The baseline characteristic
revealed mean body mass index (BMI) 26.2 + 4.2 kg./sq m and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 58.46 + 20.3%. Mean
hs-CRP was 7.62+ 28.59 mg/l and PWV was 11.43 + 5.13 m/sec. There was significant correlation between PWV and hs-CRP
(r = 0.251, p = 0.017) and PWV and age (r 0.244, p = 0.02).
Conclusion : The correlation of an inflammatory marker, hs-CRP and abnormal aortic property, PWV, has been established
in this study, using a concept of MRI. This potentially reflects an inflammation as a contributor to an abnormal aortic wall
property.
Keywords : Pulse wave velocity (PWV), hs-CRP, Aortic stiffness, magnetic resonance imaging
