Association of factor VII levels with inflammatory parameters in hypercholesterolemic patients

Atherosclerosis. 2002 Nov;165(1):159-66. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9150(02)00199-5.

Abstract

Inflammatory markers have been demonstrated to be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. In this setting, C-reactive protein (CRP) was shown to add predictive value to cholesterol levels. We investigated hypercholesterolemic patients and related their inflammatory variables and their coagulation state focusing on factor VII, a coagulation protein which plays an established role in thrombogenesis. We examined the relationship between factor VII clotting activity (FVIIc), FVII antigen (FVIIAg) and activated FVII (FVIIa) levels against CRP, interleukin-6 soluble receptor (IL-6sR), P-selectin, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and transforming growth factor-beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)), in fifty-eight hypercholesterolemic subjects. Patients were subjected to 6-8 weeks of lipid lowering treatment with diet or diet plus pravastatin (40 mg/day). Univariate analysis showed that FVII levels were positively associated with CRP (FVIIAg: r=0.56, P<0.0001; FVIIc: r=0.57, P<0.0001; FVIIa: r=0.39, P<0.001) and IL-6sR (FVIIAg: r=0.59, P<0.0001; FVIIc: r=0.52, P<0.0001; FVIIa: r=0.47; P<0.001). CRP was still correlated, at the baseline, with FVIIAg and FVIIc levels after multiple stepwise regression analysis (FVIIAg: P<0.0001; FVIIc: P<0.0001, respectively) and with FVIIAg at the end of lipid lowering treatment (P<0.0001). Our data indicate that the FVII level is independently associated with inflammatory variables and suggest their pathophysiological link in hypercholesterolemic patients.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Blood Coagulation Tests
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Coronary Disease / epidemiology
  • Coronary Disease / prevention & control
  • Diet, Fat-Restricted*
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Factor VII / analysis*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Hypercholesterolemia / blood*
  • Hypercholesterolemia / diagnosis
  • Hypercholesterolemia / therapy*
  • Inflammation Mediators / analysis*
  • Linear Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pravastatin / administration & dosage*
  • Probability
  • Reference Values
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Inflammation Mediators
  • Factor VII
  • Pravastatin