Correspondence

krakow.pl Background and PurposezzSeveral circulating biomarkers have been implicated in carotid atherosclerotic plaque rupture and thrombosis; however, their clinical utility remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the role of a large biomarker panel in the discrimination of symptomatic (S) vs. asymptomatic (A/S) subjects in a contemporary population with carotid artery stenosis (CS). MethodszzProspective sampling of circulating cytokines and blood lipids was performed in 300 unselected, consecutive patients with ≥50 % CS, as assessed by duplex ultrasound (age 47-83 years; 110 with A/S and 190 with S) who were referred for potential CS revascularization. ResultszzCS severity and pharmacotherapy did not differ between the A/S and S patients. The median values of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and lipoprotein(a) did not differ, but high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was significantly higher (p<0.001) and triglycerides were lower (p=0.03) in the A/S-CS group than in the S-CS group. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were higher (p=0.04 and p=0.07, respectively) i