Interleukin 18 and coronary heart disease: prospective study and systematic review.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

Previous studies suggest that circulating levels of interleukin-18 (IL-18) may be prospectively related to risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in the general population. We report new data from the largest prospective study to date, which are combined with data from all published prospective studies in a meta-analysis.

Methods

We measured baseline IL-18 levels in stored serum samples of subjects from a case-control study nested within a prospective study of 5661 men aged 40-59 years recruited from general practices in 18 British towns in 1978-1980 and followed-up for up to 16 years (median time to event 8.4 years) for fatal CHD and non-fatal myocardial infarction (595 cases, 1238 controls).

Results

IL-18 concentrations were strongly related to cigarette smoking,

SUBMITTER: Jefferis BJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3146704 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature