title: Relationship between coronary endothelial function and coronary calcification in early atherosclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relationship between coronary endothelial function and coronary calcification is not well established.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-six patients 17 men [37%]; age, 47.4+/-11.4 years prospectively underwent testing for coronary endothelial function and measurement of coronary artery calcification (CAC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Log CAC scores were not significantly different between patients with normal (n=31) and abnormal (n=15) response of epicardial coronary artery diameter to acetylcholine (%CAD(Ach)) (median (25, 75 percentile) 1.1 (0.0, 3.7) vs. 0.3 (0.0, 2.4), P=.32) and with normal (n=28) and abnormal (n=18) response of coronary blood flow to acetylcholine (%CBF(Ach)) (0.5 (0.0, 3.6) vs. 0.5 (0.0, 3.2), P=.76). Log CAC scores did not correlate with %CAD(Ach) (r=0.08, P=.59), %CBF(Ach) (r=0.14, P=.35).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients without significant coronary artery disease, coronary endothelial dysfunction showed no apparent association with coronary calcification. Our findings suggest that these 2 markers may represent separate, independent processes in the progression of coronary atherosclerosis.
authors: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors: Seung Hwan
authors: SH
authors: Han
authors: Thomas C
authors: TC
authors: Gerber
authors: Jassim Al
authors: JA
authors: Suwaidi
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Eeckhout
authors: Ryan
authors: R
authors: Lennon
authors: Ronen
authors: R
authors: Rubinshtein
authors: Amir
authors: A
authors: Lerman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged