Endovascular plasty and vascular inflammation: their relationship and impact on development of restenosis of lower extremity arteries

The baseline levels of proinflammatory mediators (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, Interleukin-6) and markers of endothelial damage (endothelin-1, von Willebrand factor ) in the blood serum were measured in 128 patients with atherosclerosis of the lower extremities who had underwent balloon angioplasty. Hemodynamically significant restenosis in patients with lesions of the iliac arteries was observed in 34% of patients, with the postoperative loss of the lumen being equal to 58.3±4.29%, while in the group of patients with stenosis of the femoral and popliteal arteries it accounted for 46%, with the postoperative loss of the lumen reaching 65.2±5.14%. A direct correlation between the level of indicators of proinflammatory mediators, markers of endothelial damage and the degree of ischemia of the lower extremities was identified. Also determined were the predictors of restenosis formation after angioplasty of the lower extremity arteries. The level of CRP tended to exceed 10.1 mg/l, IL-6 was over 6.1 pg/ml and ET-1 was higher than 0.8 ng/ml.