Circulating chemokines in relation to coronary plaque characteristics on radiofrequency intravascular ultrasound and cardiovascular outcome

Objective: To investigate relations of several circulating chemokines with extent and phenotype of coronary atherosclerosis and with 1-year clinical outcome. Methods: Intravascular ultrasound virtual histology (IVUS-VH) imaging of a coronary artery was performed in 581 patients. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha), MIP-1 beta and regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) were measured in plasma. Results: Higher MCP-1, MIP-1 alpha and lower RANTES were associated with coronary plaque burden. Higher MCP-1, MIP-1 alpha and lower RANTES were associated with the presence of IVUS-VH-derived thin-cap fibroatheroma lesions. RANTES was associated with major adverse cardiac events. Conclusions: RANTES is a promising biomarker that is inversely associated with coronary plaque burden and vulnerability, as well as with death and acute coronary syndrome.