Plasma sialic acid and coronary artery atheromatous load in patients with stable chest pain

Serum or plasma sialic acid and C-reactive protein have recently been shown to be cardiovascular risk factors. Our aim was to determine whether plasma sialic acid or C-reactive protein concentration correlate with atheromatou s load on coronary angiography. Plasma sialic acid concentration and plasma C-reactive protein concentration were determined in 128 consecutive patien ts attending day case coronary angiography. Patients were excluded for prev ious coronary angioplasty, coronary artery bypass grafting, recent myocardi al infarction, acute or chronic inflammatory disease and proximal occlusion s precluding analysis of distal coronary anatomy. Total cholesterol, trigly ceride, HDL cholesterol and glucose concentrations were assayed on fasting samples of venous blood. Angiograms were graded according to a semisubjecti ve scoring system. There was no significant correlation between plasma sial ic acid (r = 0.19, P = 0.07), or C-reactive protein concentration (r = 0.17 , P = 0.13) and atheromatious load. There was no significant correlation be tween sialic acid (P = 0.13), or C-reactive protein concentration (P = 0.32 ) and the number of diseased coronary vessels. The difference in plasma sia lic acid concentration between those with normal coronary angiograms and th ose with coronary artery disease did not reach significance (P=0.08). Plasm a sialic acid concentration correlated with C-reactive protein (r = 0.58, P = 0.0001), serum triglyceride (r = 0.32, P = 0.002), and blood cholesterol concentration (r = 0.22, P = 0.04). Plasma sialic acid concentration does not correlate with atheromatous load on coronary angiography in patients wi th stable angina. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserve d.