{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T14:06:21Z","timestamp":1787580381128,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,15]],"date-time":"2021-11-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1636934400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate how the high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) values influence the risk of carotid plaque instability in association with other cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: One hundred and fifty-six carotid plaques from both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients requiring surgical carotid endarterectomy were retrospectively collected. According to the modified American Heart Association, atherosclerosis plaques have been histologically distinguished into unstable and stable. The following anamnestic and hematochemical data were also considered: age, gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking habit, therapy, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-C, kidney failure and hs-CRP. Results: The results of our study clearly show that high levels of hs-CRP significantly increase the carotid plaque instability in dyslipidemic patients. Specifically, a 67% increase of the risk of carotid plaque instability was observed in patients with high LDL-C. Therefore, the highest risk was observed in male dyslipidemic patients 2333 (95% CI 0.73\u20137.48) and in aged female patients 2713 (95% CI 0.14\u201353.27). Discussion: These data strongly suggest a biological relationship between the hs-CRP values and the alteration of lipidic metabolism mostly in male patients affected by carotid atherosclerosis. The measurement of hs-CRP might be useful as a potential screening tool in the prevention of atheroscletotic disease.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics11112117","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,15]],"date-time":"2021-11-15T20:46:47Z","timestamp":1637009207000},"page":"2117","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Increases the Risk of Carotid Plaque Instability in Male Dyslipidemic Patients"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0585-1309","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuel","family":"Scimeca","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, 00133 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"San Raffaele University, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, Via di Sant\u2019Alessandro 8, 00131 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8441-3731","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuela","family":"Montanaro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marina","family":"Cardellini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Center for Atherosclerosis, Policlinico Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rita","family":"Bonfiglio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3711-2714","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lucia","family":"Anemona","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicoletta","family":"Urbano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Oncohaematology, Policlinico \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, Viale Oxford 81, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elena","family":"Bonanno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rossella","family":"Menghini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Viviana","family":"Casagrande","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eugenio","family":"Martelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of General and Specialist Surgery \u201cP. Stefanini\u201d, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Division of Vascular Surgery, S. Anna and S. Sebastiano Hospital, 81100 Caserta, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2619-9153","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesca","family":"Servadei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2582-3527","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Erica","family":"Giacobbi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Arnaldo","family":"Ippoliti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Vascular Surgery Unit, Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9541-8896","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roberto","family":"Bei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vittorio","family":"Manzari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Massimo","family":"Federici","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Center for Atherosclerosis, Policlinico Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Orazio","family":"Schillaci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"IRCCS Neuromed, Via Atinense, 18, 8607 Pozzilli, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7351-5676","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessandro","family":"Mauriello","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, 00133 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.1038\/35025203","article-title":"Atherosclerosis","volume":"407","author":"Lusis","year":"2000","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"868","DOI":"10.1038\/nature01323","article-title":"Inflammation in atherosclerosis","volume":"420","author":"Libby","year":"2002","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"204","DOI":"10.1038\/ni.2001","article-title":"The immune system in atherosclerosis","volume":"12","author":"Hansson","year":"2011","journal-title":"Nat. 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