The relationship of oxidized lipids to coronary artery stenosis

A total of 1200 patients with angina were cardiac catheterized establishing that 63% had 70-100% stenosis, 12% had 10-69% stenosis of one or more of t heir coronary arteries and 25% had microvascular angina listed as 0% stenos is. Prior to catheterization 10 ml of blood was drawn and the plasma subjec ted to analysis for the concentration of cholesterol, lipid peroxides (LPX) , total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), fibrinogen (FB), ceruloplasmin (CP) an d activation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs). Comparisons were made to non-smoking controls without angina. Significant differences in LPX wer e found between the patients with 0 and 10-69% stenosis (P < 0.001), with 1 0-69 and 70-100% stenosis (P < 0.001), and with 0 and 70-100% stenosis (P < 0.001). Under 70 years of age there was a significant difference in LPX be tween patients with all levels of stenosis and age and sex matched controls (P < 0.001). Differences in the mean plasma cholesterol concentration for different levels in the degree of stenosis were not significant, indicating that LPX provided consistent data on the severity of stenosis while the pl asma cholesterol concentration did not. Compared with controls an increase in activation of PMNLs (P < 0.01), an increase in concentration of both FB and CP (P < 0.01) and a decrease in total antioxidant capacity were noted i n the plasma of catheterized patients. In summary the concentration of oxid ation products rather than the concentration of cholesterol in the plasma i dentified stenosis in cardiac catheterized patients. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scie nce Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.