[Effect on endothelin and cytokines on the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease].

The plasma levels of endothelin(ET), serum levels of tumor necrosis factor(TNF) and interleukin-6(IL-6) in 35 patients with coronary heart disease(CHD) and 20 healthy people were studied by radioimmunoassay and enzymebinded immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The results showed that the plasma ET level and the serum TNF level in the CHD group, especially the acute myocardial infarction(AMI) group, were much higher than those of the control group (P < 0.01). There was no obvious statistical difference on IL-6 levels between the narrowed coronary artery group and the control group (P > 0.05). But the serum level of IL-6 in the AMI group was significantly higher than that of the other groups (P < 0.01). These findings indicate that ET and cytokine levels may play an important role on the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease.