Premature atherosclerosis in premenopausal women: Does cytokine balance play a role?

Contributory risk factors to premature coronary artery disease (CAD) in premenopausal women are poorly understood and data on this subset of women is lacking. There is growing evidence that the process of inflammation is a part of the atherosclerotic process. Mechanistic insights from animal work suggest that the profile of circulating cytokines reflects both endothelial integrity and the presence of immune and progenitor cells. Significant differences in pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine concentrations between patients with and without CAD exist. Young women with obstructive CAD may experience differences in pro-inflammatory cytokines and the recruitment of reparative cells that secrete T-Helper (Th2 cytokines compared to women without CAD. Thus, cytokine balance may play a role in obstructive CAD in young women. In this pilot study we set out to identify an array of circulating inflammatory marker profiles which could be useful for the development of risk assessment and preventive strategies. We tested the hypothesis that an increase in serologic Th1 cytokines relative to Th2)/hematopoietic regulatory (HR) cytokines is related to premature coronary atherosclerosis in premenopausal women.