Inflammatory mediators and soluble cell adhesion molecules predict
cardiovascular events. It is not clear whether they reflect the severity
of underlying atherosclerotic disease. Within the Rotterdam Study, we
investigated the associations of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6
(IL-6), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and soluble vascular
cell adhesion molecule-1 with noninvasive measures of atherosclerosis.
Levels of CRP were assessed in a random sample of 1317 participants, and
levels of IL-6 and soluble cell adhesion molecules were assessed in a
subsample of 714 participants. In multivariate analyses, logarithmically
transformed CRP (regression coefficient [beta]=-0.023, 95% CI -0.033 to
-0.012) and IL-6 (beta=-0.025, 95% CI -0.049 to -0.001) were inversely
associated with the ankle-arm index. Only CRP was associated with carotid
intima-media thickness (beta=0.018, 95% CI 0.010 to 0.027). Compared with
the lowest tertile, the odds ratio for moderate to severe carotid plaques
associated with levels of CRP in the highest tertile was 2.0 (95% CI 1.3
to 3.0). Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 levels were strongly
associated with carotid plaques (odds ratio 2.5, 95% CI 1.5 to 4.4
[highest versus lowest tertile]). Soluble vascular cell adhesion
molecule-1 was not significantly associated with any of the measures of
atherosclerosis. This study indicates that CRP is associated with the
severity of atherosclerosis measured at various sites. Associations of the
other markers with atherosclerosis were less consistent
