Increased platelet activity in patients with isolated coronary artery ectasia.
BACKGROUND
The common coexistence with coronary artery disease has led to the suggestion that coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a variant of coronary artery disease. The mechanisms, however, responsible for CAE formation during the atherosclerotic process and the exact clinical significance are not well known. In this study, we aimed to investigate platelet activity in patients with isolated CAE by using specific markers of platelet activation as P-selectin, beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG) and platelet factor 4 (PF4).


METHODS
Thirty-two patients with isolated CAE without significant stenosis and 30 control participants with angiographically normal coronary arteries were included in this study. According to the angiographic definition used in the Coronary Artery Surgery Study, a vessel is considered to be ectasic when its diameter is > or = 1.5 times that of the adjacent normal segment in segmental ectasia. Plasma P-selectin, beta-TG and PF4 levels were measured in all patients and control participants using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method.


RESULTS
Patients with isolated CAE were detected to have significantly higher levels of plasma P-selectin, beta-TG and PF4 in comparison with control participants with angiographically normal coronary arteries (P-selectin: 248+/-46 vs. 154+/-32 ng/ml, respectively, P<0.001; beta-TG: 51+/-19 vs. 21+/-9 ng/ml, respectively, P<0.001; PF4: 58+/-23 vs. 33+/-11 ng/ml, respectively, P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, we have shown for the first time that patients with isolated CAE have raised levels of plasma P-selectin, beta-TG and PF4 compared with control participants with angiographically normal coronary arteries, suggesting increased platelet activation in patients with CAE.
Yasar
Ayse Saatci
AS
Department of Cardiology, Turkiye Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. drasaatciyasar@yahoo.com
Erbay
Ali Riza
AR
Ayaz
Selime
S
Turhan
Hasan
H
Metin
Fatma
F
Ilkay
Erdogan
E
Sabah
Irfan
I
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019007:P-Selectin / Q000097:blood; D015539:Platelet Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D010978:Platelet Factor 4 / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D019007:P-Selectin; D001620:beta-Thromboglobulin; D010978:Platelet Factor 4