ELEVATED LEVELS OF PLASMA IMMUNOGLOBULIN EIN PATIENTS WITH CARDIAC SYNDROME X

Cardiac syndrome X is a status described by the presence of angina pectoris, a positive response to exercise stress test with angiographically normal epicardial coronary arteries. The pathogenesis of cardiac syndrome X has previously ascribed to myocardial ischemia that may be caused by microvascular endothelial dysfunction and increased sensitivity to intracardiac pain. However, despite the extensive studies, the precise mechanisms in cardiac syndrome X remain unclear. More recently, the data has been suggested that chronic inflammation has been associated with cardiac syndrome X. The evidence for the hypothesis include that cardiac syndrome X is associated with elevation of several inflammatory biomarkers, suggesting a possible role for inflammation in its pathogenesis. Recently, enhanced levels of serum immunoglobulin E in patients with cardiovascular diseases have been generating more interest. The aim of the study was to establish the role of immunoglobulin E in the mechanism of cardiac syndrome X induction. The study included eighty patients with cardiac syndrome X (30 male/50 female; mean age: 51.72±9.20 years) and 60 healthy age- and gender-matched individuals (21 male/39 female; mean age: 49.35±5.45 years). Every subject was interviewed concerning presence of allergy, concomitant acute/chronic diseases, tobacco abuse and other risk factors for coronary arterial disease. Plasma immunoglobulin E concentration measurements were carried out using ELISA technique. Conducted studies revealed that patients with cardiac syndrome X were detected to have significantly higher plasma immunoglobulin E level in comparison with control group (115.64±34.60 IU/ml vs. 96.89±30.10 IU/ml, respectively; p=0.001). In addition, the comparison of total immunoglobulin E concentrations between men and women did not reveal significant differences in both groups. Thus, it can be concluded that the observed higher levels of immunoglobulin E in patients with cardiac syndrome X may serve as evidence that immunoglobulin E takes part in the pathogenesis of cardiac syndrome X, and, probably, it can be a marker, peculiarities of cardiac syndrome X course.