C-reactive protein predicts non-target lesion revascularization and cardiac events following percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with angina pectoris.

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis progression. We hypothesized that CRP might be related to progression of non-target lesion and prognosis in patients with angina pectoris.

Methods And Results: We enrolled 111 patients with angina pectoris treated with coronary stenting. CRP was measured before coronary stenting. Patients were grouped according to the CRP value, high CRP group (n=56, ≥ 0.12 mg/dl) and low CRP group (n=55, <0.12 mg/dl). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that non-target lesion revascularization (TLR) free survival was significantly lower in the high CRP group than in the low CRP group (log-rank, p=0.004). Moreover, cardiac event (death, myocardial infarction, TLR, and non-TLR) free survival was also significantly lower in the high CRP group than in the low CRP group (p=0.004). By univariate and multivariate analysis, CRP was the only independent predictor of non-TLR (odds ratio, 1.26; p<0.001 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.98-1.64]). Also, CRP was a predictor of the cardiac events (odds ratio, 1.32; p=0.04 [95% CI 1.02-1.72]).

Conclusions: CRP was a predictor of non-TLR and cardiac events following stenting in patients with angina pectoris.