Stem cell factor bioactivity

Markers of inflammation, especially CRP (measured with a highly sensitive technique, referred to as hs-CRP), have become the center of attention in recent years (22). This increased interest stems from several important observations made by Ridker and co-workers. Serum CRP has been shown to be an independent cardiovascular disease risk factor (23,24). High levels predict CAD death in healthy middle-aged men (25) and in patients with unstable CAD (26). In acute coronary syndromes, serum CRP concentrations correlate with the severity of endothelial dysfunction (27). In the CARE trial, subjects with elevated markers of inflammation (CRP and serum amyloid A > 90th percentile) were at high cardiovascular risk and responded best to pravastatin treatment in terms of cardiovascular risk reduction (28). The statin also reduced serum CRP concentrations (29). CRP co-incubated with LDL is readily taken up by macrophages, in contrast to native LDL, suggesting that CRP could promote foam cell formation (30). A link with endothelial dysfunction may be related to the fact that CRP decreases endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression and bioactivity in human aortic endothelial cells (31). 

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