Increased myocardial prevalence of C-reactive protein in human coronary heart disease: direct effects on microvessel density and endothelial cell survival

Abstract Background Elevated plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) is a biomarker of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), but its potential roles as a participant of the disease process are not well defined. Although early endothelial cell injury and dysfunction are recognized events in CVD, the initiating events are not well established. Here we investigated the local myocardial CRP levels and cardiac microvessel densities in control and CVD tissue samples. Using in vitro methodologies, we investigated the direct effects of CRP on human endothelial cells. Methods Cardiac specimens were collected at autopsy within 4 h of death and were classified as normal controls or documented evidence of CVD. The regional prevalence of CRP and the cardiac microvessels (