The degree of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in treatment of chronic heart failure in patients with coronary artery disease
Sazhina, E.I.; Kozlova, I.V.; Rebrov, A.P.; Al'tshuler, M.I.
Klinicheskaia Meditsina 84(12): 20-24
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0023-2149 PMID: 17294877 Document Number: 595246
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the clinico-diagnostic importance of the degree of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) receiving either standard therapy including ACE inhibitors or the same therapy plus aspirin. One hundred twenty CHF patients aged 45 to 74 were examined. The patients were studied clinically; laboratory tests included measurement of the cerum levels of cytokines with solid-phase immune enzyme assay and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels with photometric turbidimetric technique; the vasoregulating function and antithrombogenic activity of vascular wall were evaluated. Improvement in the clinical condition of II to III functional class patients receiving standard therapy was associated with a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokine and CRP serum levels, as well as a tendency towards improvement in the vasoregulating function and a decrease in the antithrombogenic endothelial activity, mostly due to vascular wall fibrinolytic activity. Standard therapy combined with aspirin led to less prominent changes in the patients' conditions; a simultaneous decrease in the levels of all the cytokines under study was not noted; the vasoregulating activity of the vascular endothelium decreased. The data obtained may be used as additional criteria to objectively evaluate the severity of the condition of CHF patients and to control the effectiveness of the therapy.