Aim To study the relationship between nitric oxide (NO), oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and coronary stenosis in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods The levels of NO, ox- LDL, ICAM-1 of peripheral serum were determined in 81 CHD patients and 35 controls. Results The levels of NO were significantly lower in CHD group than controls, while the levels of ox-LDL and ICAM-1 were higher in CHD group than controls (P<0.05). The levels of NO in CHD patients declined with the increasing extent of coronary stenosis (P<0.001). The levels of ox-LDL and ICAM-1 increased with the increasing extent of coronary stenosis (P<0.05). NO was negatively related to ox-LDL and ICAM-1 (r=-0.199 and r=-0.234,P<0.05), ox-LDL was positively related to ICAM-1 (r=0.378,P<0.01). Conclusion The data suggests that the levels of serum NO, ox-LDL and ICAM-1 are associated with the occurrence and progression of CHD.