Objective To investigate the change in the plasma apelin level in patients with stable angina.
Methods The study enrolled 96 patients with stable angina as the Stable Angina Group and another 78 outpatients with no angina as the Control Group. Subjects were excluded if they had a history of acute coronary syndrome, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmia, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, or antecedent hypertension. Plasma apelin levels of all subjects were determined using a commercially available immunoassay. In addition, blood was sampled for measurements of 8-iso-prostaglandin-F2alpha by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The severity of coronary artery stenosis of stable angina patients was evaluated using the Gensini score.
Results The mean levels of apelin in plasma were significantly lower in subjects with stable angina compared with controls (1.24 vs.1.98 ng/mL, p <0.05). The plasma level of apelin in the stable angina group was negatively correlated with the Gensini score (r =-0.399, p <0.05).
Conclusion Reduced apelin levels were observed in this homogenous population of stable angina subjects and the plasma apelin level was negatively correlated with the degree of coronary stenosis.