Preprocedural C-Reactive Protein Is Not Associated with Angiographic Restenosis or Target Lesion Revascularization after Coronary Artery Stent Placement

Background: We assessed the predictive value of pre-procedural plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) concentra-tions and statin therapy on 6 months angiographic and 1-year clinical outcome after nonurgent coronary stent placement. Methods and Results: Baseline plasma high-sensitivity CRP concentrations were prospectively measured in 345 patients undergoing elective stent placement in a native coronary artery. The binary angiographic in-stent reste-nosis (ISR; stenosis>50 % of vessel diameter) rate was 19 % in patients with CRP values within the reference interval (<3 mg/L) and 22 % in patients with CRP>3 mg/L [odds ratio (OR) 1.2; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.73–2.09]. Statin therapy in a univariate analysis significantly reduced both angiographic and clinical ISR rates. Multivariate logistic regression analysis iden-tified unstable angina, smoking, and stent length, but neither CRP concentration nor statin therapy as inde-pendent predictors for angiographic ISR. Patients with an abnormal CRP value showed a trend toward a higher risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction (3.8 % vs 0.5%; OR 7.43; 95 % CI, 0.87–61.65). Target lesion revascu-larization rates did not differ between the two group