Relation of anti- to pro-inflammatory cytokine ratios with acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a leading cause of death. Inflammatory processes play an important role in atherosclerosis, which is intimately related to AMI. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines ratios and AMI.

METHODS

A total of 90 AMI patients and 90 age-and sex-matched controls were recruited in this study. Plasma cytokines and conventional risk factors were determined by standard methods.

RESULTS

Patients with AMI showed increased interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels and lower anti- to pro-inflammatory cytokine ratios as compared with controls. A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that IL-10 to IL-6 ratio was independently associated with the occurrence of AMI (odds ratio [OR], 5.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.39 to 12.17; p < 0.0001). In contrast, IL-6 levels were no longer significant in the multivariate model (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.932 to 1.12; p = 0.603). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated that IL-6 levels and IL-10 to IL-6 ratios were a significant predictor of AMI (area under ROC curve, 0.892 and 0.851, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the ratio of IL-10 to IL-6 is independently associated with AMI, and reduced levels of this ratio may favor the development of AMI.