Relation of thrombomodulin, TFPI and plasma antioxidants in healthy individuals and patients with coronary heart disease

Objective -The role of antioxidants in preventing endothelial dysfunction has been discussed for many years and still is a controversial issue. This study is to determine the relation between markers of endothelial damage and plasma antioxidants in healthy individuals and patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods and results - Plasma concentration and activity of antioxiclant b-carotene (P-CAR), superoxide dismutase (SOD), vitamin C (VC) and vitamin E (VE) were measured in patients with coronary heart disease and healthy volunteers. Markers of endothelial damage, thrombomodulin and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) were also measured. Levels of thrombomodulin in CHD patients and healthy individuals were 29.8 +/- 24.2 ng/mL and 21.7 +/- 10.8 ng/mL respectively. Levels of TFPI in CH D patients and healthy individuals were 114.1 +/- 19.4 ng/mL and 93.5 +/- 14.1 ng/mL, respectively. Both thrombomodulin and TFPI levels were significantly higher in CHD patients than healthy volunteers (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). Levels of VC, VE, SOD and P-CAR showed no significant differences between the two groups. In CHD patients, plasma thrombomodulin levels correlated negatively with plasma VC, VE and P-CAR. TFPI levels correlated negatively with plasma VC,VE, P-CAR and SOD. No significant relations could be found in healthy individuals between plasma thrombomodulin,TFPI and plasma antioxidants levels. Conclusions - In CHID patients, serum antioxidant levels correlated significantly and negatively with endothelial damage.