title: Significance of red cell distribution width measurement for the patients with isolated coronary artery ectasia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Red cell distribution width (RDW) has been recognized as a novel marker for several cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between RDW levels and the presence of isolated coronary artery ectasia (CAE).
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 414 subjects including 113 patients with isolated CAE (Group A), 144 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD, group B) and 157 angiographically normal controls (group C). Baseline clinical characteristics and laboratory findings including RDW were compared among three groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of RDW were significantly higher in group A and B compared with that in group C (12.97 ± 1.4 and 12.88 ± 1.0 vs 12.34 ± 0.9, p = 0.020) while no difference was found between CAE and CAD (p = 0.17). Additionally, the levels of CRP were also higher in patients with CAE and CAD compared with normal controls (0.26 ± 0.14 mg/L, 0.31 ± 0.27 mg/L vs 0.20 ± 0.06 mg/L, p = 0.04). The multivariate analysis indicated that RDW and CRP were the independent variables most strongly associated with the presence of isolated CAE and CAD. There was a positive correlation between levels of RDW and CRP in patients with isolated CAE (γ=0.532, p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggested that RDW may be a useful marker and independent predictor for the presence of isolated CAE.
authors.forename: Xiao-Lin
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Li-Feng
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Yan-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Shao-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Yuan-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Rui-Xia
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Cheng-Gang
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Li-Xin
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Division of Dyslipidemia, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fu Wai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China. lijianjun938@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Jian-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000097:blood; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012372:ROC Curve; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein