The expression of p66shc in peripheral blood monocytes is increased in patients with coronary heart disease and correlated with endothelium-dependent vasodilatation.

The objective of this study is to detect the p66shc mRNA and protein expression of the peripheral blood monocytes (PBMs) in coronary heart disease patients (CHD) and controls, to evaluate the correlation between the expression of p66shc mRNA in the PBMs and endothelium-dependent vasodilatation. This study included 78 coronary angiography-documented CHD patients (CHD group) and 38 non-CHD controls (control group). The p66shc mRNA and protein levels were determined by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. The flow-mediated dilatation (FMD, endothelium-dependent), nitroglycerine-induced dilatation (NID, endothelium-independent) and carotid intimal medial thickness (CIMT) were detected using high-resolution ultrasound. The p66shc mRNA and the protein expression levels in the PBMs were significantly higher in the CHD group compared with the control group (p = 0.007 and 0.001). The FMD (p < 0.001) and NID (p = 0.013) were significantly lower and the CIMT (p = 0.007) was significantly thicker in the CHD patients than in the controls. In the univariate analysis, the expression of the p66shc mRNA in the PBMs was significantly positively correlated with the serum LDL-C and homocysteine levels and the CIMT and was inversely correlated with the FMD and the NID (all p < 0.001). In the multiple linear regression analysis, the FMD (p < 0.001), LDL-C (p = 0.002) and homocysteine levels (p = 0.002) remained independently correlated with the p66shc mRNA expression. These findings highlight a pivotal role for the expression of p66shc in CHD and endothelial dysfunction, which might represent a molecular target to prevent endothelial dysfunction-related disease.