title: Elevated plasma homocysteine levels in patients with isolated coronary artery ectasia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Coronary artery ectasia is a variant of coronary atherosclerosis. Hyperhomocysteinemia has emerged as a major, independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The purposes of this study were to determine plasma hyperhomocysteine levels in patients with coronary artery ectasia, and to compare patients with coronary artery ectasia, coronary artery disease, and controls with normal coronary angiogram.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population included 37 patients with coronary artery ectasia and 36 patients with coronary artery disease. The control group consisted of 32 patients with angiographically proven normal coronary arteries. Plasma hyperhomocysteine levels were measured in all study patients with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma homocysteine levels were significantly higher in patients with both coronary artery ectasia and coronary artery disease than in the controls (14.8+/-1.1 and 15.9+/-0.8 vs. 2.5+/-0.6 micromol/l; P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). No significant differences in plasma homocysteine levels were found among CAE and CAD groups (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have demonstrated that patients with coronary artery ectasia and coronary artery disease have increased plasma hyperhomocysteine levels compared with the controls. These findings suggest that hyperhomocysteinemia may play an important role in the pathogenesis of coronary artery ectasia as in coronary artery disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Inonu University, Turgut Ozal Medical Center, Malatya, Turkey. mferidunkosar@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Feridun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kosar
authors.forename: Isa
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sincer
authors.forename: Yuksel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ozerol
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D020138:Hyperhomocysteinemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006710:Homocysteine