title: Relationship between endothelial dysfunction and serum homocysteine in patients with coronary lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between vascular endothelial dysfunction and serum homocysteine (HCY) level in patients with coronary lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum HCY, serum nitric oxide (NO), plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1), and circulation endothelial cell (CEC) were measured in 76 patients who received coronary angiography. Fifty-four patients with a stenosis of 50% or more at least in one coronary atery were as coronary artery disease (CAD) group. Other 22 cases with no recognizable plaque and/or stenosis were as control group. HCY level was detected using an enzyme immunoassay kit. NO concentration was measured using a nitrate reductase kit. Radio-immunoassay was applied to analyse the ET-1 level, and CEC was measured by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of HCY, ET-1, and CEC in patients with coronary lesions were significantly increased in comparison with control group (P < 0.01), while NO level in CAD group was significantly lower compared with that in control (P < 0.01). Using a multivariate stepwise regression analysis, HCY level had a positive correlation with ET-1 level (r = 0.420, P < 0.05) and CECs number (r = 0.423, P < 0.05); and had a negative correlation with NO/ET-1 (r = -0.403, P < 0.05). But there was no significant correlation between HCY and NO levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HCY might lead to endothelial cell injury, which would provide a plausible mechanism for the relationship between hyperhomocysteinemia and development of coronary artery disease. HCY can be considered as a predictor for preliminary or active coronary lesion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100020. cz8088@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chun-sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bao-sen
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Cheng-qing
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Xi-feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002452:Cell Count; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019332:Endothelin-1; D006710:Homocysteine; D009569:Nitric Oxide