title: Microalbuminuria is not associated with endothelial dysfunction and coronary atherosclerosis in patients with acute coronary syndromes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Microalbuminuria is associated with atherosclerosis and it is a strong and independent predictor of increased risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, the underlying mechanisms of the association of albuminuria and cardiovascular disease are not well understood. We examined the association of endothelial dysfunction with microalbuminuria in non-diabetic and non-hypertensive patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared endothelial function by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and glyceryl trinitrate-mediated dilatation (GTN) and angiographic properties among 27 microalbuminuric and 106 normoalbuminuric patients. Severity of coronary arteriosclerosis was evaluated using the Gensini score and number of diseased vessels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We evaluated 133 patients (106 males; mean age 59 +/- 11 years). Microalbuminuria was present in 27 (20.3%) subjects. Patients with microalbuminuria and normoalbuminuria had similar baseline characteristics. FMD and GTN responses were not different in microalbuminuric patients compared with normoalbuminuric patients (FMD 8.2 +/- 5.3 vs. 7.9 +/- 6.5%, p = 0.54 and GTN 9.3 +/- 5.4 vs. 10.2 +/- 6.9%, p = 0.82). Microalbuminuria was not associated with endothelial dysfunction (p = 0.49). Morphological properties of coronary lesion were not different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of microalbuminuria is not associated with endothelial dysfunction and severity of angiographic coronary atherosclerosis in non-diabetic and non-hypertensive patients with ACS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Etlik Ihtisas Research and Education Hospital, Ministry of Health, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duran
authors.forename: Nihat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kalay
authors.forename: Idris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ardic
authors.forename: Mikail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yarlioglues
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kayaalti
authors.forename: Yücel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akpek
authors.forename: Mehmet Gungor
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Topsakal
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000150:complications*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged