High Plasma Levels of Heparin-Binding Epidermal Growth Factor Are Associated With a More Stable Plaque Phenotype and Reduced Incidence of Coronary Events.
Rupture of atherosclerotic plaques is the major cause of acute coronary events (CEs). Plaque destabilization is the consequence of an imbalance between inflammatory-driven degradation of fibrous tissue and smooth muscle cell-dependent tissue repair. Proinflammatory factors have been documented extensively as biomarkers of cardiovascular risk but factors that contribute to stabilization of atherosc