Risk assessment of inflammation in healthy asymptomatic first degree relatives of myocardial infarction patients

Myocardial Infarction (MI) is both polygenic and multifactorial disorder and it is known that immunological processes play key role in initial phases of leukocyte recruitment, to eventual rupture of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque. It is now universally recognized that inflammation within the lesions contributes importantly to the initiation and progression of atherosclerotic plaque. The aim our study is to characterize the underlying mechanism in the development of MI by expression levels of CRP & TNF-alpha in MI patients and to identify the first-degree relatives (FDR’s) at risk of the disease in comparison with controls. The results of the present study found significant mean levels of CRP (4158.82±493.82 in MI patients, 3603.79±154.54 in FDR’s and 2626.39±151.94 in controls). The mean ±SD of TNFµ levels (pg/ml) in serum was found to be 16.32± 3.82 in MI patients, 13.10±1.5 in FDR’s and 8.88± 2.7 of controls. The high levels of CRP and TNF-alpha may acts s potent independent inflammatory predictors of MI in FDR’s and the study also shows the disease predisposing factors in  first degree relatives. Hence the study designed to screen FDR’s of MI patients to evaluate the risk of future coronary events and to ignite various measures for delaying progression of disease by life style modification or by the drug therapies. Our study may help in new possibilities of anti-inflammatory treatment that might help in prevention of MI.