The Potential Effect of Intravenous Calcitriol on the Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Patients following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of calcitriol on Ischemia-reperfusion Injury (IRI) and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTEACS) undergoing elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). Methods: A total of 72 patients with NSTEACS were randomly divided into two groups: (1) the calcitriol-treated group, treated with three mcg intravenous calcitriol administered before PCI (n = 36), and (2) the control-treated group (n = 36). The serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), high-sensitivity interleukin-6 (hs-IL-6), creatinine kinase (CK)-MB and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels were measured before PCI and 24 hours after PCI in both groups. The patients were followed up for the detection of the prevalence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in 180 days after PCI in both groups. Results: Compared to pre-PCI, the serum hs-CRP, hs-IL-6, CK-MB, and cTnI levels were increased at 24 h after PCI (all p<0.05) in both groups. However, change in the levels of hs-CRP and hs-IL-6 were significant (p=0.04 and p=0.02, respectively). Changes in the levels of CK-MB and cTnI were non-significant (p=0.15 and p=0.39, respectively). No MACE (death, Q wave MI, target vessel revascularization, ischemic stroke) was detected in any patient in any group during a 3-month follow-up. Conclusion: Administration of calcitriol in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes undergoing elective PCI can attenuate the increase in serum inflammatory biomarkers in the serum (hs-CRP and hs-IL-6) and thus decrease the inflammatory reaction caused by PCI.