Abstract 11923: High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein is Associated With Vulnerable Characteristics in Coronary Plaques in Patients With Stable Coronary Disease

Introduction: Higher level of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the association between hsCRP and the characteristics of coronary plaques in patients with CAD remains to be elucidated. Hypothesis: Higher hsCRP is associated with a higher prevalence of vulnerable characteristics in coronary plaques in patients with CAD. Methods: A total of 793 consecutive patients with stable coronary disease (SCD), who underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of coronary plaques were included. The characteristics of culprit or non-culprit plaque assessed by OCT were compared between the higher hsCRP group (hsCRP ≥ 0.2 mg/dL, n=247) and the lower hsCRP group (hsCRP < 0.2 mg/dL, n=546). Results: In culprit plaques, the prevalence of thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) was significantly higher in the higher hsCRP group than in the lower hsCRP group (23.8% vs. 14.9%, p=0.003) (Panel A). In non-culprit plaques, the prevalence of TCFA (28.6 vs. 18.2%, p=0.014) and plaque with marcophages (56.4 vs. 45.1%, p=0.029) was significantly higher in the higher hsCRP group than in the lower hsCRP group (Panel B). Conclusions: Higher level of hsCRP is associated with a higher prevalence of vulnerable characteristics in culprit and non-culprit plaques in patients with CAD. The present results may partly explain the pathogenesis of an increased incidence of ​recurrent cardiovascular events in patients with CAD.