[The high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level one month after bare-metal coronary stenting may predict late adverse events].

The significance of the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level in percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) is unclear. Troponin-T and hs-CRP levels were measured before PCI, after stenting, and 8 h, 24 h, and 30 days after the procedure in 68 consecutive patients who received bare-metal stents. The study endpoints were death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and the need for revascularization. The mean follow-up time after PCI was 16.6 months. Patients who experienced an event had higher hs-CRP levels 24 h (P=.05) and 30 days (P< .02) after stenting. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve at 30 days had the highest sensitivity (i.e., 80%) and specificity (i.e., 72%) for predicting an event. The 12-month event-free survival rate (Kaplan-Meier) was greater when the hs-CRP level at 30 days was < or =2.5 mg/L than when it was above this value (P=.04). Consequently, measuring the hs-CRP level 30 days after stenting may be useful for predicting late events.