Inflammatory Biomarker in Patients with Coronary Artery Ectasia Compared to Patients with Stenotic Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract

Background: Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a rare vascular abnormality characterized by the dilation of a segment of a coronary artery. The pathogenesis of CAE remains unclear; it may involve an inflammatory pathway distinct from that observed in stenotic coronary artery disease (CAD). Objectives: This study aimed to compare inflammatory biomarkers among patients with CAE, patients with CAD, and individuals with normal coronary angiography. Methods: Forty-eight patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography were enrolled in this study and divided into three groups based on their angiographic findings: (1) The CAE/aneurysmal dilation group (10 patients), (2) stenotic CAD group (19 patients), and (3) a control group. All participants underwent blood assays immediately after coronary angiography to evaluate high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β). Results: There were no differences in baseline demographic or cardiovascular risk profiles among the three groups. There were no significant differences in the levels of TNF-α (P = 0.891), IL-6 (P = 0.440), or hsCRP (P = 0.367) across the groups. However, IL-1β levels were significantly higher in the stenotic CAD group (35.08 ± 13.30 pg/mL) compared to both the CAE group (17.53 ± 6.20 pg/mL) and the control group (19.78 ± 8.67 pg/mL, P < 0.001). Conclusions: The IL-1β levels were significantly elevated in patients with CAD compared to both CAE patients and controls, suggesting its role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In contrast, the lack of elevated IL-1β and other inflammatory markers in CAE challenges the proposed role of systemic inflammation in the pathophysiology of this condition.