Relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and hs- CRP in cerebral infarction patients

Objectives To explore the relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and hypersensitive C reaction protein(hs- CRP), and the significance of hs- CRP in the onset and early diagnosis of cerebral infarction. Methods A total of 130 cerebral infarction patients were recruited into the case group, 32 TIA patients into control group 1, and 53 vertebrobasilar insufficient blood- supply patients into control group 2. Color doppler ultrasonography was employed to measure plaques in bilateral common carotid arteries and external and internal carotid arteries. Blood hs- CRP was measured within 24 hours of disease onset with immunodiffusion turbidimetry. Blood glucose, white blood cells and serum lipid concentrations were also tested. Results Plaques were detected in 61.54% of patients in the case group, 59.38% in control group 1 and 32.08% in control group 2. There was a significant difference in the plaque positive rates among these three groups(P=0.001). Plaques were frequently detected in the common carotid arteries (80.30% , 83.33% and 100% for the case group, control group 1 and control group 2, respectively). Plaques located in the bifurcation of the carotid artery accounted for 73.48% , 83.33% and 96.55% in the case group, control group 1 and control group 2, respectively. The level of hs- CRP were (13.06± 1.14) mg/L,(5.60± 1.97) mg/L and (4.18± 0.96) mg/L in the case group, control group 1 and control group 2, respectively, and there were significant differences in the levels of hs- CRP among these three groups (P=0.000), between the case group and control group 1 (P=0.013), the case group and control group 2 (P=0.000), but there was no significant difference between control group 1 and control group 2 (P=0.675). In respect of blood glucose, white blood cells and serum lipid concentrations, there were no significant differences among the three groups (P 0.05). In the case group, hs- CRP was (17.20± 2.37) mg/L in the plaque positive subgroup and (5.35± 1.02) mg/L in the plaque negative subgroup and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.001). Conclusions hs- CRP takes in the formation of atheroaclerosis. Increased hs- CRP may be a single high- risk factor in the formation and development of carotid arteries atherosclerosis in cerebral ischemic patients.