Relationship between apoptosis markers and the severity of coronary atherosclerosis and clinical and paraclinical characteristics of patients with coronary artery disease

Aim. To assess markers of serum apoptosis markers depending on the severity of coronary atherosclerosis, as well as to study their relationship with clinical and paraclinical characteristics of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).Material and methods. The study included 176 people (105 men and 71 women), of which 150 were patients with an established diagnosis of CAD, 26 — healthy volunteers (control group). The patients were divided into the following groups: group 1 — with coronary atherosclerosis without stenosis (n=17); group 2 — with hemodynamically insignificant (stenosis <50%) coronary atherosclerosis (n=21); group 3 — with hemodynamically significant (stenosis >50%) coronary atherosclerosis (n=112). Group 4 was represented by healthy volunteers (n=26). Patients underwent coronary angiography using the SYNTAX score, echocardiography, extracranial artery duplex ultrasound. All subjects were studied for the serum level of apoptosis markers Bcl-2, Bax, Bcl-2/Bax, TRAIL and p53. Statistical processing was carried out using the Statistica 10.0 software. Differences were considered significant at p<0,05.Results. There was a very high correlation between the Bcl-2 (r=-0,84; p<0,001), Bax (r=0,83; p<0,001), Bcl-2/Bax (r=-0,86; p<0,001), p53 (r=0,80; p<0,001), TRAIL (r=-0,78; p<0,001) and the severity of coronary atherosclerosis. A correlation of varying strength and significance was revealed between the values of these apoptosis markers and a number of clinical and paraclinical characteristics of patients. In addition, there were significant differences (p<0,001) in Bcl-2, Bax, Bcl2/Bax, p53 and TRAIL between groups of patients with multifocal atherosclerosis, restenosis after previous revascularization and a history of myocardial infarction in comparison with patients without these signs.Conclusion. The correlations we have identified between laboratory signs of apoptosis and coronary lesions, clinical and paraclinical characteristics of patients, as well as the detected reliability of differences between groups with multifocal atherosclerosis, coronary artery restenosis and myocardial infarction in history, make it possible to consider these biomarkers as indicators of atherosclerosis severity. This can also be the basis for the development of novel treatment and diagnostic strategies.