[Changes in proinflammatory cytokine and destructive metalloproteinase levels during formation of unstable atherosclerotic plaque].

We studied men with coronary atherosclerosis without acute coronary syndrome and determined typical valuable parameters of inflammatory (tumor necrotic factor, antagonist of receptor to interleukin [IL] 1, IL 6, IL 8, monocytes chemotactic protein 1, endothelial monocytes activating protein II), and destructive (matrix metalloproteinase [MMP] 3, MMP 7, MMP 9, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase) processes at consecutive stages of formation of coronary atherosclerotic plaque: "normal intimal tissue --> lipid stain --> early stable plaque --> unstable vulnerable plaque <--> stable plaque with fibrosis", and in 3 types of unstable plaques (lipid type, inflammatory erosive type, necrotic type).