Early growth response 3 is Associated with Prognosis in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Aim: To investigate the association between the expression of early growth response 3 (Egr3), the level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß) as well as prognosis in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods Clinical data of 119 patients who visited the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University with CHD symptoms and underwent coronary artery angiography (CAG) were collected. According to the CAG results and Gensini score, the patients were divided into a mild stenosis group (n = 56), severe stenosis group (n = 32) and control group (n = 31). Circulating serum levels of Egr3 and the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß and IL-6 were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.qRT-PCR was used to measure Egr3 gene expression in peripheral blood of patients. The incidence of the CHD clinical composite end point was followed for 1 year by examining outpatient medical records and inquiry by telephone. Results The level of Egr3 in CHD patients was affected by Gensini score (b = 7.170, t = 2.912, P = 0.005) and IL-6 (b = 26.248, t = 4.279, P < 0.001). There was a significant difference in Egr3 mRNA levels between the controls and CHD patients. Moreover, the mRNA levels of Egr3 was a contributing factor to the adverse cardiovascular prognosis in patients with CHD (HR = 1.036, 95% CI 1.014–1.058, P = 0.001). Conclusions Egr3 may interact with the inflammatory response resulting in CHD. Egr3 may aggravate the severity of coronary artery stenosis, indicating that Egr3 mRNA levels are a potential prognostic factor in patients with CHD.