Clinical impact of systemic inflammation across the spectrum of different high-sensitivity CRP values in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

Abstract Background Systemic inflammation enhances atherosclerosis progression and is a well-established determinant of cardiovascular risk. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), the most widely available biomarker of inflammation, has indeed been associated with the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, some heterogeneity exists in the threshold to define high hsCRP associated with increased cardiovascular risk, with the 2 and 3 mg/L cut-offs being used more commonly. Purpose We aimed to evaluate the clinical impact of systemic inflammation in patients undergoing PCI across the spectrum of baseline hsCRP values. Methods We retrospectively evaluated consecutive patients undergoing PCI with drug-eluting stent implantation from 2012 to 2022 at Mount Sinai Hospital (NY, USA). We excluded patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction or active cancer and those for whom baseline hsCRP was not available or was above 10 mg/L. Patients were stratified into three groups according to baseline hsCRP levels: <2.0, 2.0 to 3.0, and >3.0 mg/L. We estimated the risk of 12-month adverse events using the lowest hsCRP group (<2.0 mg/L) as reference. The primary endpoint was MACCE, defined as the composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke. Secondary endpoints were MACCE individual components, target vessel revascularization (TVR), stent thrombosis and bleeding. Results A total of 10,811 patients were included in the analysis. Of these, 6,210 (57.4%) had hsCRP <2.0 mg/L, 1,624 (15.0%) between 2 and 3 mg/L and 2,977 (27.6%) >3.0 mg/L. Incidence of anemia, diabetes mellitus, peripheral and cerebrovascular artery disease, atrial fibrillation and chronic kidney disease increased stepwise across hsCRP groups. Moreover, patients with higher hsCRP tended to present more frequently with unstable angina and higher baseline LDL cholesterol levels. As regards procedural variables, coronary artery disease severity and PCI complexity did not differ significantly across groups. When compared with patients with hsCRP < 2, hsCRP > 3 mg/L was associated with a greater adjusted risk of MACCE (4.9% vs 2.4%; HR 1.75 % CI 1.35 - 2.28), all-cause death (2.5% vs 0.9%, HR 2.34, 95%CI 1.57-3.47) and MI (2.5% vs 1.3%; HR 1.58 95%CI 1.11-2.26) (Figure 1). Risks of stroke, TVR, stent thrombosis and bleeding did not significantly differ across hsCRP groups (Table 1) Conclusions In patients undergoing PCI, elevated hsCRP values exceeding 3 mg/L exhibit a more robust association with the risk of MACCE and all-cause mortality, as compared with both hsCRP < 2.0 and between 2.0 and 3.0 mg/L. In this context, the use of hsCRP might improve the stratification of patients associated with higher inflammatory burden.