Hyperlipidaemias and serum cytokines in patients with coronary artery disease

Objective - The inflammatory processes as well as the lipid disturbances play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of the hyperlipidaemias on serum levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, the soluble form of TNF receptor (sTNFR) 1 and 2, Interleukin (IL)-10 in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods and results - The study group comprised 94 consecutive admissions with stable CAD: 39 patients with hypercholesterolaemia (group HC), 22 patients with mixed hyperlipidaemia (group HL) and 33 patients with normal lipids (group NL). Twenty healthy volunteers were the controls (group C). Serum TNFalpha levels were higher in all CAD groups (p < 0.001) than in healthy subjects. Mean serum concentrations of sTNFR 1 were significantly higher in group NIL (p < 0.05) in comparison both to group HC and controls. IL-10 levels were higher in group HC than in controls (p < 0.05). In all CAD patients TNFα showed a negative correlation with HDL-cholesterol (p < 0.001) and a positive correlation with triglycerides (p < 0.001). Moreover, sTNFR 1 and IL-10 showed a negative (p < 0.05) and sTNFR 2 a positive correlation with LDL-cholesterol (p < 0.001). Conclusions - CAD patients are characterized by increased serum concentrations of TNFα. It seems likely that immune activation (TNFα, sTNFR 1, sTNFR 2, and IL-10) in CAD patients is related to serum lipids levels.