title: Correlation between the activity of the autonomic nervous system and endothelial function in patients with acute coronary syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The endothelium and sympathetic nervous system play an important role in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to evaluate correlations between noninvasive markers of the endothelial function and the sympathetic nervous system in patients with a recent ACS.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 52 patients who experienced an ACS within the previous 3 to 6 months. Endothelial function was expressed as the reactive hyperemia index (RHI), and the activity of the sympathetic nervous system--as latency and amplitude of sympathetic skin response (SSR) potentials from the 4 limbs. Linear and partial correlations between the RHI and SSR were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant correlations between the RHI and the latency of the SSR in the upper limbs (r = 0.34, P = 0.02 for the right limb; and r = 0.34, P = 0.01 for the left limb). After eliminating the effects of age, sex, weight, and glomerular filtration rate, the partial correlation between the RHI and the latency of the SSR in the upper limbs remained statistically significant (r = 0.41, P = 0.004 for the right limb, and r = 0.42, P = 0.004 for the left limb). There was no correlation between the RHI and latency of the SSR during the stimulation of the lower limbs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study confirmed the correlations between the sympathetic autonomic nervous system and endothelium in patients with ACS. The correlation of the RHI with the latency of the SSR was observed only in the upper limbs.
authors.forename: Urszula I
authors.initials: UI
authors.lastname: Cieślik-Guerra
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fila
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamiński
authors.forename: Rafał
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kotas
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wróblewski
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Trzos
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Uznańska-Loch
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rechciński
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wierzbowska-Drabik
authors.forename: Jarosław D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kasprzak
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurpesa
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017776:Autonomic Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors