C-Reactive Protein Increases Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 Expression and Activity in Human Aortic

Background—Inflammation plays a pivotal role in atherosclerosis. In addition to being a risk marker for cardiovascular disease, much recent data suggest that C-reactive protein (CRP) promotes atherogenesis via effects on monocytes and endothelial cells. The metabolic syndrome is associated with significantly elevated levels of CRP. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), a marker of atherothrombosis, is also elevated in the metabolic syndrome and in diabetes, and endothelial cells are the major source of PAI-1. However, there are no studies examining the effect of CRP on PAI-1 in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). Methods and Results—Incubation of HAECs with CRP results in a time- and dose-dependent increase in secreted PAI-