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The influence of statin treatment on the inflammatory biomarkers YKL-40 and HsCRP in patients with stable coronary artery disease

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Abstract

Objective

The inflammatory biomarker YKL-40 is elevated and associated with mortality in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim was to investigate the influence of statin treatment and lipid status on serum YKL-40 and Hs-CRP in patients with stable CAD.

Design

Serum YKL-40, HsCRP, total cholesterol, HDL-c, LDL-c and triglycerides levels were measured in 404 statin treated and in 404 matched non-statin treated patients with stable CAD.

Results

YKL-40 was significantly higher in non-statin treated 110 µg/l (median) compared with 65 µg/l in statin treated (p < 0.001). HsCRP was 3.3 mg/l in non-statin treated compared with 2.1 mg/l in statin treated (p < 0.001).

YKL-40 was not related to cholesterol levels for either statin or non-statin treated patients in the univariate analysis. In statin treated patients, HsCRP was related to a high level of total-cholesterol (p = 0.01) and a low level of HDL-c (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

HsCRP, but not YKL-40, is associated with the cholesterol levels in statin treated patients. This indicates that YKL-40 could be a superior prognostic biomarker in patients with stable CAD, since it is independent of changes in cholesterol levels in both statin and non-statin treated patients.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to T.L. Hansen, D. Nadelman and U.K. Hansen at Department of Medicine, Herlev Hospital for measurements of serum YKL-40, and to Annette Jans, Morten Klarskov Nielsen and Brian Møllgren at the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet. The CLARICOR Trial Group consist of Jørgen Fischer Hansen, Department of Cardiology, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Per Hildebrandt, Department of Cardiology, Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Gorm Boje Jensen, Department of Cardiology, Hvidovre Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Jørgen Hilden, Department of Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Christian M. Jespersen, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Erik Kjøller, Department of Cardiology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hans Jørn Kolmos, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Odense University Hospital and Christian Gluud, The Copenhagen Trial Unit, Centre for Clinical Intervention Research, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital. The study was financially supported with grants from the Joint Proof-of-Concept Fund, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Denmark.

Conflict of interest

A European patent (No. PA 2008 00089 “Classification of individuals suffering from cardiovascular diseases according to survival prognoses as found by measuring the levels of biomarker YKL-40”) was issued on January 23, 2008, and is exclusively licensed to Jens Kastrup. The other authors have no conflicts of interests. The authors alone are responsible for the content and the writing of the paper. The authors had full access to all data in the study and had the final responsibility for the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory 2014, Department of Medicine B, Faculty of Health Sciences, The Heart Centre, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark

    Naja Dam Mygind, Marina J. Harutyunyan, Anders Bruun Mathiasen, Jens Jacob Thune & Jens Kastrup

  2. Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Frederiksberg Hospital, Frederiksberg, Denmark

    Rasmus S. Ripa

  3. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Jens Peter Gøtze

  4. Department of Medicine, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Julia S. Johansen

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  1. Naja Dam Mygind
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  2. Marina J. Harutyunyan
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  4. Rasmus S. Ripa
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The CLARICOR Trial Group

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Correspondence to Jens Kastrup.

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Responsible Editor: Claudia Kasserra.

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Mygind, N.D., Harutyunyan, M.J., Mathiasen, A.B. et al. The influence of statin treatment on the inflammatory biomarkers YKL-40 and HsCRP in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Inflamm. Res. 60, 281–287 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00011-010-0266-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00011-010-0266-5

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