Association between coronary endothelial dysfunction and local inflammation of atherosclerotic coronary arteries.
We have examined a possibility whether or not severity and extent of coronary atherosclerosis may associate with degree of local inflammation in relation to endothelial dysfunction as is indicated by reduced NO formation. Blood samples were obtained from aortic root (Ao) and coronary sinus (CS) of 39 patients who underwent coronary angiography. Plasma NOx levels (nitrite + nitrate, stable NO end-products) were evaluated by HPLC-Griess system, and markers of inflammation, C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A protein (SAA), were measured by Latex Turbidimetric Immunoassay. To evaluate the changes of these substances through coronary circulation, the percentage changes of respective markers [(CS - Ao) x 100/Ao] were calculated. The extent and severity of atherosclerosis of left coronary arteries were evaluated with Gensini Score (GS). The GS correlated with the percentage changes of NOx (r = -0.35, p < 0.05) and that of SAA (r = 0.43, p < 0.05) across coronary circulation, but not with changes in CRP. Moreover, the percentage changes of NOx correlated with that of SAA (r = -0.36, p < 0.05). These results indicated that severity and extent of coronary atherosclerosis related to degree of local inflammation which has a possible association with coronary endothelial dysfunction.
Matsubara
Taku
T
Division of Cardiology, Shinrakuen Hospital, Niigata, Japan.
Ishibashi
Takaharu
T
Hori
Tomoyuki
T
Ozaki
Kazuyuki
K
Mezaki
Tohru
T
Tsuchida
Keiichi
K
Nasuno
Akimitsu
A
Kubota
Kaname
K
Tanaka
Takayuki
T
Miida
Takashi
T
Aizawa
Yoshifusa
Y
Nishio
Matomo
M
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D009573:Nitrites / Q000097:blood; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D009573:Nitrites; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D002097:C-Reactive Protein