Serum Neopterin Levels Acute Coronary Syndrome as a new Inflammation Marker

Intracoronary thrombus occurring by disruption of atheroscle rotic plague is the cause of acute coronary syndromes. Vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques were found to contain a large number of macrophages and T lymphocytes and that the seeretian of neopterin from activated macrophages increased in vulnerable plaques. Our study aimed to assess serum neopterin concentrations as an indicator of intracoronary plaque inflammation and their re ıation to coronary artery disease severity in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Consecutive 43 patients with chronic stable angina pectoris (group 1), 118 patients with ACS (group II) and age-matched 30 healthy subjects as a control group (group III) were enrolled in our study. Serum neopterin co ncentration was measu red with "enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay" technique. Selective coronary angiography was performeel all pa tients. Significant coronary artery disease was defined as >50% narrowing on coronary ang iogranı. Severity of coronary artery d isease was evaluated using Gensini score. Serum neopterin concentrations were found ı2.33±3.94 nnıol/L in group I, 22.46±6.75 nmol/L in group II, and 9.02±2.57 nnıol/L in group III. Serum neopterin levels were found significantly higher in ACS than in patients with chro nic stable angina pestoı·is (p0.05). We concluded that the !eve! of serum neopterin, an indicator of cellular immune activation in patients wi th acute coronary synd romes, inc reased considerably, and this ınay be u sed as a s ign of atherosclerotic plaque inflammation.