@article{3158838,
    title = "Coronary artery ectasia and inflammatory cytokines: Link with a
predominant Th-2 immune response?",
    author = "Triantafyllis, Andreas S. and Kalogeropoulos, Andreas S. and Rigopoulos, and Angelos G. and Sakadakis, Eleftherios A. and Toumpoulis, Ioannis K. and and Tsikrikas, Spyridon and Kremastinos, Dimitrios T. and Rizos, Ioannis",
    journal = "Cytokine",
    year = "2013",
    volume = "64",
    number = "1",
    pages = "427-432",
    publisher = "ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD",
    issn = "1043-4666, 1096-0023",
    doi = "10.1016/j.cyto.2013.05.003",
    keywords = "Coronary artery ectasia; Inflammation; Cytokines; T-helper lymphocytes;
Coronary artery disease",
    abstract = "Objective: The role of inflammation in coronary artery ectasia (CAE)
remains controversial. We evaluated the hypothesis that CAE might be
associated with a specific pattern of T helper (Th) lymphocyte
activation by measuring the Th-1 cytokine, interleukin-2 (IL-2) and the
Th-2 cytokines, interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in
patients with CAE, obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) and
controls.
Methods: Serum levels of IL-2, IL-4 and IL-6 were measured in 74
patients undergoing an elective cardiac catheterization due to angina
pectoris and positive or equivocal non-invasive screening for cardiac
ischaemia: 34 had CAE and non-obstructive CAD (Group A), 22 had
obstructive CAD (Group B) and 18 had normal coronaries (Group C).
Results: Group A had significantly higher IL-4 than Group B and Group C
(p < 0.001 and p = 0.006, respectively). In contrast, Group A had
markedly lower IL-2 than Group B and Group C (p < 0.001 for both
comparisons). Group C had higher IL-4 and lower IL-2 than Group B (p <
0.001 for both comparisons). Interleukin-6 was significantly higher in
Groups A and B compared to Group C (p < 0.001 for both comparisons),
whilst it was comparable between Group A and Group B. Multivariate
logistic regression analysis showed that higher levels of IL-4 and lower
levels of IL-2 were the strongest independent predictors associated with
CAE (OR: 3.846, CI: 1.677-8.822, p = 0.001 and OR: 0.567, Cl:
0.387-0.831, p = 0.004, respectively).
Conclusions: Our data demonstrates that Th-2 immune response, exhibited
through increased IL-4 and low IL-2, constitutes a fundamental feature
of CAE. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved."
}