title: The relation between coronary flow rate, plasma endothelin-1 concentrations, and clinical characteristics in patients with normal coronary arteries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coronary slow flow (CSF) is characterized by delayed opacification of epicardial arteries in the absence of occlusive disease. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the relation between coronary flow rate, plasma endothelin-1 (ET-1) concentrations, and clinical characteristics in patients with normal coronary arteries.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population included 77 patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries who underwent coronary angiography on suspicion of ischemic heart disease due to typical chest pain or ischemic findings on treadmill exercise test or myocardial scintigraphy. Based on the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction frame count (TFC), patients were grouped into those with normal coronary flow and those with slow coronary flow.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-eight (61.5%) patients were found to have CSF. Plasma ET-1 concentrations were significantly higher with the presence of CSF (P=.03). There were significant differences between plasma ET-1 concentrations, and mean TFC, TFC for left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), TFC for left circumflex coronary artery (CX), and TFC for right coronary artery separately in patients with and without CSF (P=.033, P<.001, P<.001, P<.001, and P<.001, respectively). Mean TFC, TFC for LAD, and TFC for CX, and ET-1 concentrations were significantly higher in smokers than in nonsmokers (P<.001, P<.001, P=.004, and P=.033, respectively). However, logistic regression analysis suggested that ET-1 concentration was not an independent determinant of CSF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although there is a significant relation between ET-1 concentrations and coronary flow rate, ET-1 concentrations are not sufficient to determine the presence of CSF. Smoking is strongly associated with CSF, TFC, and increased ET-1 concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Florence Nightingale Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Celebi
authors.forename: Alp Burak
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Catakoglu
authors.forename: Hilal
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kurtoglu
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sener
authors.forename: Ruken
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hanavdelogullari
authors.forename: Cemsid
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Demiroglu
authors.forename: Vedat
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aytekin
authors.forename: Saide
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aytekin
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000502:physiology*; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019332:Endothelin-1