Changes in serum level of carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen in patients with coronary heart disease / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the serum level of carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) and explore its correlation with MMP-2 and MMP-9 in patients with coronary artery disease (CHD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 103 CHD patients treated in our hospital between October, 2013 and May, 2014 were enrolled, including 39 with stable angina pectoris (SAP), 39 with unstable angina (UA), and 25 with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), with 38 non-CHD volunteers as the control group. The serum levels of ICTP, MMP-2, and MMP-9 were detected in all the subjects using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No significant difference in serum levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, or ICTP was found between the control and SAP groups or between UA and AMI groups (P>0.05), but the latter two groups had significantly higher serum levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, and ICTP than the former two groups (P<0.05). Serum ICTP level was found to negatively correlated with the fibrotic area and positively with the lipid component in the plaques (P<0.05). Regression analysis revealed significant positive correlations of serum ICTP with MMP-2 and MMP-9 (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>An elevated serum ICTP level is indicative of the presence of unstable plaques in CHD patients. Serum ICTP is more strongly correlated with MMP-2 than with MMP-9, and can be used as a non-invasive marker for assessing vulnerable plaques in patients with acute coronary syndrome.</p>

Analysis of glucose levels and the risk for coronary heart disease in elderly patients in Guangzhou Haizhu district / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes and their association with the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) in elderly residents in Haizhu District of Guangzhou.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Stratified random sampling was employed to select a total of 1800 resident aged 50 years or older in the region. The fasting fingertip blood glucose>5.6 mmol/L was used as the criterion for the initial screening. The data were collected from qualified subjects via scheduled questionnaire surveys, blood collection and testing, and physical examination. The subjects were divided into the 3 groups, namely normal blood glucose, prediabetes, and diabetes groups. The combination rates of the relevant risk factors (hypertension, hyperlipemia, obesity, and central obesity) were compared among the groups by Framingham Heart Study to predict the occurrence of CHD in 10 years.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The incidence was 11.00% for prediabetes and 7.56% for diabetes in the elderly residents in Haizhu District. The occurrence of hypertension, hyperlipemia, obesity, and central obesity was significant higher in the prediabetes and diabetes group than in the normal blood glucose group, and showed no significant differences between the former two groups. The 10-year risks for CHD were markedly higher in both the prediabetes and diabetes groups than in the normal blood glucose group, but similar between the former two groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Elderly patients with prediabetes and diabetes have significantly increased 10-year risk for CHD in comparison with those with normal blood glucose, but the risk is similar between the former two groups, indicating a close association of IGR (impaired fasting glucose+ impaired fasting glucose) with CHD. Early control of blood glucose is essential to the prevention and control of CHD.</p>