Association of Serum Cytokines, Human Growth Hormone, Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF)-I, IGF-II and IGF-Binding Protein (IGFBP)-3 with Coronary Artery Disease

The roles that serum cytokines, human growth hormone (h-GH), insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF-II and IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)-3 play in coronary artery disease (CAD) are not completely clear. A total of 80 participants comprising 20 patients with stable angina (SA), 20 patients with unstable angina (UA), 20 patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and 20 healthy control subjects were recruited during the period January 2010 to August 2010. Blood samples were drawn from all participants on admission and one week later in MI patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We found that MI patients had significantly lower levels of IGF-I, IGF-II and IGFBP-3, and significantly higher levels of h-GH, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and IL-10 than controls. Furthermore, patients with SA or UA had higher levels of TNF-alpha and lower levels of IGF-II than control subjects. Moreover, h-GH, IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-3 and IL-6 levels returned to within normal range in MI patients one week after PCI. Our preliminary findings suggest that TNF-alpha and IGF-II are potential biomarkers of early CAD. Furthermore, h-GH, IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-3 and IL-6 might be predictors of and potential modifiable targets for MI.