Inflammatory Biomarkers in Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease is driven by chronic inflammation within the vascular wall, where immune cells and endothelial dysfunction converge to initiate and propagate atheromatous plaques. Inflammatory biomarkers – encompassing circulating cytokines, acute-phase proteins and adhesion molecules – offer insight into disease activity, risk stratification and therapeutic response. Measurement of markers such as C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 and soluble tumour necrosis factor receptors has been integrated into clinical practice, refining prediction of adverse events beyond traditional risk factors. Ongoing research seeks to expand this repertoire with novel lipid mediators, microRNAs and genetic variants that modulate inflammatory pathways, with the aim of personalised intervention and improved outcomes.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have refined the role of nuclear factor-κB signalling in coronary inflammation. One investigation assessed a common promoter polymorphism in the NF-κB1 gene and its interaction with dietary patterns in angiography patients. Carriers of the deletion allele demonstrated higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and more extensive coronary stenosis when adhering to a traditional dietary profile, implicating gene–environment interplay in lipid-driven inflammation. Another study evaluated the same polymorphism in acute myocardial infarction, finding that homozygous deletion genotypes correlated with elevated plasma interleukin-6 and interleukin-8, increased oxidative stress markers and greater lesion severity. These findings highlight a genetic modulation of cytokine release that contributes to plaque instability and clinical events.

Inflammatory Biomarkers in Coronary Artery Disease publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in inflammatory biomarkers in coronary artery disease across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Biomarker: A measurable indicator of a biological or pathogenic process, used for diagnosis, prognosis or monitoring.

Cytokine: A small signalling protein released by cells that orchestrates immune and inflammatory responses.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6): A pro-inflammatory cytokine produced by immune and vascular cells, central to the acute-phase response.

Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB): A transcription factor complex that regulates expression of genes involved in inflammation, immunity and cell survival.

Gensini score: A quantitative system for grading the severity of coronary artery narrowing based on angiographic analysis.

References

1. Interaction of dietary patterns with rs28362491 on severity of coronary artery stenosis in patients undergoing coronary angiography. Scientific Reports (2023).
2. NFKB1 gene rs28362491 ins/del variation is associated with higher susceptibility to myocardial infarction in a Chinese Han population. Scientific Reports (2020).
3. Significant association between rs28362491 polymorphism in NF-κB1 gene and coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders (2020).
4. NFKB1 gene rs28362491 polymorphism is associated with the susceptibility of acute coronary syndrome. Bioscience Reports (2019).