Background: Recent studies suggest that leucocyte elastase is involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The objective of this study was to characterize the role of leucocyte elastase in arterial disease in women.
Methods: Forty-two women underwent coronary angiography because of chest pain or valvulopathy. Twenty-three showed no signs of lesions (group 1) and 19 had coronary stenosis (group 2). Their age, weight and height were recorded, together with the presence of angina, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, any family history of coronary disease and levels of tobacco consumption. Leucocyte counts, lipid levels and neutrophil elastase concentrations were determined from peripheral blood samples.
Results: Levels of elastase were found to be significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 (mean ± SD 53.3 ± 15.9 compared with 28.6 ± 16.8 μg/l, P < 0.001). Patients from group 2, who had a greater mean age (69 ± 7 compared with 58 ± 9 years for group 1, P < 0.001), were more often diabetic (26% compared with 0%, P < 0.05) and were more likely to have family histories of ischaemic cardiomyopathy (59% compared with 18%, P < 0.05). However, multivariate analysis indicated that age and elastase levels were of independent value as predictors of coronary artery disease.
Conclusion: The concentration of elastase in peripheral blood is higher in women who have stenosis on coronary angiography.
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