Antioxidants, inflammation and cardiovascular disease

Table 1 Selected studies investigating neopterin concentrations in cardiovascular disease patients

Ref.	Condition	n	Result
Melichar et al[64], 1994	AMI	13	Increased urinary neopterin
Anwaar et al[65], 1999	Acute cerebral ischemia or transient ischemic attack, 1-yr follow-up	59 (57)	Increase of plasma neopterin after acute cerebral ischemia
Tatzber et al[66], 1991	Different clinical stages of atherosclerosis	61	Elevated plasma neopterin in about 50% of hospitalized patients undergoing conservative or surgical therapy, higher neopterin levels were overrepresented in patients with higher Frederickson type
Weiss et al[67], 1994	Cross-sectional community-based screening study (Ischemic Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Study, Bruneck, Italy)	561 (total)	Serum neopterin correlated with the extent of carotid atherosclerosis
Schumacher et al[68], 1997	AMI Stable CAD	21 62	Neopterin levels were highest in AMI patients but also elevated in those with CAD
Gurfinkel et al[69], 1999	Unstable angina pectoris (non-Q-wave AMI)	52 (26)	Serum neopterin correlated with score of atherosclerotic extension (angiography)
Zouridakis et al[70], 2004	Chronic stable angina pectoris	124	CAD progression correlated with increased neopterin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein as well endothelial activation markers
Avanzas et al[71], 2005	Patients with chronic stable chest pain undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography, 1-yr follow-up	297	Elevated serum neopterin correlated with adverse coronary events during follow-up (17.2%)
Kaski et al[72], 2008	NSTE ACS (unstable angina and NSTE MI), 6-mo follow-up	397 (147,250)	Baseline neopterin in unstable angina and NSTE MI comparable, increased neopterin was associated with adverse cardiac events
Johnston et al[73], 2006	ACS (treatments: medication, uncoated or rapamycin-eluting coronary stents) and stable CAD	70 (35, 25, 10) 36	Serum neopterin correlated with thrombolysis in myocardial infarction; mean changes in serum neopterin higher in uncoated stent group
Barani et al[74], 2006	Critical limb ischemia, 1-yr follow-up	232	Neopterin was elevated in patients with atrial fibrillation or flutter and with ischemic electrocardiogram changes which were at risk for adverse cardiac events
Ray et al[75], 2007	ACS (PROVE IT–TIMI 22) 2-yr follow-up	3946	Increased neopterin was associated with increased risk of death and of acute coronary events after ACS

NSTE: Non-ST-segment elevation; PROVE IT-TIMI: PRavastatin or atorVastatin Evaluation Infection Therapy-Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction; AMI: Acute myocardial infarction; MI: Myocardial infarciationnon; CAD: Coronary artery disease; ACS: Acute coronary syndrome. Table adapted and extended from Fuchs et al[6].