High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein in the Male Patients with Angina with Normal Coronary Arteries

Aims: Endothelial dysfunction has been reported in patients with Cardiac Syndrome X but little is known regarding low grade chronic inflammation as a pathogenic mechanism. We assessed whether markers of inflammation in the form of Hs CRP differ in CSX patients as compared to control subjects. As most of studies have taken women predominated groups, we sought to undertake our study among male patients. Methods and Results: The mean age was 50.36 (±9.77) among study group and 51.64 (±7.48) among control group. 25 had sedentary life style, 26 (53%) were urban dwellers, 33(67.3%) were hypertensive’s, 11(22.4%) were diabetics/IFG/IGTT, 37(75.5%) were smokers, 18 were dyslipidemics, 7 had family history of CAD and 17 were obese. All the patients underwent baseline investigations like- Haemogram, Chest X-ray, ECG, Serum chemistry, lipid profile, Echocardiography, and an exercise electrocardiography (TMT). Patients with any systemic inflammatory conditions, baseline ST-T wave changes, epicardial coronary spasm, hypertrophic or dilated Cardiomyopathy, acute MI and inadequate exercise test were excluded from the study. Coronary angiography was performed in all the patients with positive TMT and negative hyperventilation test. In patients having normal coronary arteries, serum samples were taken and stored frozen at -70oC until further analysis. The level of HSCRP in the serum samples was estimated by a high sensitivity (with lowest detectable level =0.11mg/L) immunoturbidometric assay on Hitachi 912 clinical chemistry auto-analyzer. HSCRP levels were significantly higher in patients with CSX compared to controls (3.91±2.74mg/L VS 1.87±1.86mg/L, P =