Association Between Telomere Length and C-Reactive Protein and the Development of Coronary Collateral Circulation in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Background: Coronary collateral circulation is a stabilizer factor in myocardial ischemia. We attempted to establish a link between collateral circulation, C-reactive protein (CRP), and telomere shortening. Patients and Methods: A case-control study was performed in patients with (group A) and without (group B) coronary collaterals using coronariography. The patients were males, CRP levels and telomere length in circulating leucocytes were measured; Student t test and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Results: The study included 40 patients aged 53.9 +/- 7.0 years (20 per group). Group A exhibited lower CRP levels (2.76 +/- 3.34 vs 4.04 +/- 3.38; P = .004); whereas telomere length was shorter in group B (2.3 +/- 6.9 kb vs 6.1 +/- 5.9 kb; P < .0001). Conclusions: Collateral circulation was associated with telomere shortening and elevation of CRP levels.