[Monocytosis is an independent risk marker for coronary artery disease].

OBJECTIVES Inflammation and activation of immune system cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. This study analyzes the white blood count, including neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, monocytes and basophils, of patients with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS The white blood cell count was analyzed in 232 patients without diabetes between the ages of 15 and 88. One hundred and forty-two patients were angiographically diagnosed with CAD (57 with stable CAD and 85 with AMI) and compared to 90 control individuals. The control and CAD groups were similar in respect to age, body mass index, family history, smoking habits, hypertension, HDL and LDL (all variables with p > 0.25). RESULTS The univariate analysis revealed a higher prevalence of leukocytosis in the CAD group, which in turn was higher in the AMI patients than the stable CAD patients. The same trend was observed for monocytes. However, the distribution of all other cells in the complete blood count (CBC) was similar. Multivariate analysis using the logistic regression method with the stepwise (all variables) and backward models (p < 0.25), showed that monocytosis was an independent variable for CAD and AMI. CONCLUSION The number of monocytes, one of the most important components of the inflammatory process in the atherosclerosis plaque was an independent risk marker for CAD and AMI.