Background: Carotid artery intimal thickening and its atherosclerotic changes are related with inflammation, and C-reactive protein (CRP) is most sensitive inflammatory marker. It was known that elevated CRP is associated with increased intimal thickness of carotid artery. Elevation of CRP level were reported in choric atrial fibrillation (AF) patients also. These results suggested that chronic AF is related with inflammation. Based on these results we proposed that patients with elevated CRP and AF have high probability of increased carotid artery thickness.
Subject and method: This study was designed retrospectively. All study subject (n=150, male=86, mean age=66±13) were the patients who examined carotid ultra-sonography and CRP through past 10years. Mean (left & right) common carotid arteries intimal thickening (CCAIT) and mean internal carotid arteries intimal thickening (ICAIT) was measured. we compared intimal thickness of AF(-)+CRP(-), AF(-)+CRP(+), AF(+)+CRP(-), AF(+)+CRP(+) groups and multiple regression logistic test (MRLT) was done with age, sex, smoking, hypertension, DM, and hypercholesterolemia. Result:The result of MRLT in CCIT showed age (P<0.05, OR 1.05) and AF(+)+CRP(+) group (P<0.05, OR 7.69) were significantly related to increased intimal thickness, The results of MRLT of ICIT showed AF(-)+CRP(+) (P<0.05, OR 6.71), and AF(+)+CRP(+) (P<0.05, OR 8.06) were significantly related to increased intimal thickening. Conclusion:
Patients with elevated CRP level and AF were related to increased common carotid and internal carotid artery intimal thickness. These observations suggest increase risk of cerebral infarction in this group of patients.
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