title: Reduced microvascular density in non-ischemic myocardium of patients with recent non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Myocardial microvascular dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction (MI). We tested the hypothesis that patients with MI have lower microvasculature density in myocardium remote from the site of infarction than patients with similar extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) without MI and examined the relationship between myocardial capillary length density and plasma levels of angiogenesis-related biomarkers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed biopsies from non-ischemic left ventricular (LV) myocardium and measured plasma levels of angiogenesis-related biomarkers in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery, 57 without previous MI (no-MI) and 27 with recent non-ST-segment-elevation MI (NSTEMI). Comparison was made with biopsies from 31 aortic stenosis (AS) patients and 6 patients with "normal" LV without CAD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Myocardial microvascular density of NSTEMI patients was approximately half the density of no-MI patients, and similar to AS patients. Whereas the reduced microvascular density of AS patients was accounted for by their cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, this was not the case for NSTEMI patients, who had higher diffusion radius/cardiomyocyte width ratio than no-MI, "normal" LV, and AS patients. NSTEMI patients had lower plasma levels of carboxymethyl lysine and low molecular weight fluorophores, higher vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor-1/VEGF-A ratio, and higher endostatin and hepatocyte growth factor levels than no-MI patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recent MI was associated with reduced microvasculature density in myocardium remote from the site of infarction and alteration in plasma levels of angiogenesis-related biomarkers.
authors.affiliation: St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, Australia. dcampbell@svi.edu.au
authors.forename: Duncan J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Jithendra B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Somaratne
authors.forename: Alicia J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Prior
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yii
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Kenny
authors.forename: Andrew E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Newcomb
authors.forename: Darren J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Mary Jane
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Black
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D043169:Endostatins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D043169:Endostatins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1