title: Echo-tracking technology assessment of carotid artery stiffness in patients with coronary slow flow.
abstract: Coronary slow flow (CSF) in coronary angiography (CAG) is a well-recognized clinical entity. Previous studies have suggested that microvascular abnormalities and endothelial dysfunction are responsible for CSF. Accordingly, we hypothesized that the CSF phenomenon is a form of atherosclerosis including both small vessels and epicardial coronary arteries. The echo-tracking (ET) technique is a non-invasive detection method for early prediction of arterial atherosclerosis. Therefore, we investigated carotid elasticity with the ET technique in patients with CSF. Fifty patients with CSF and 50 patients with normal coronary artery blood flow, as determined by CAG, with a similar distribution of risk factors were recruited. The stiffness parameter (β), pressure-strain elastic modulus (Ep), arterial compliance (AC), augmentation index (AIx) and local pulse-wave velocity (PWV) were determined at the level of the bilateral common carotid artery (CCA) with using the ET technique. Levels of serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-HSCRP) were determined for the two groups. β, Ep and PWV were significantly higher in the CSF group than in the control group (β: 11.4 ± 3.76 vs. 9.22 ± 3.28, p < 0.01; Ep: 153.44 ± 47.85 vs. 126.40 ± 43.32, p < 0.01; PWV: 7.26 ± 1.10 vs. 6.55 ± 1.02, p < 0.01), but AC was lower in the CSF group than in the control group (0.62 ± 0.20 vs. 0.74 ± 0.24, p < 0.01). The elasticity parameters of the bilateral common carotid artery did not significantly differ. The level of hs-HSCRP was correlated positively with β (r = 0.306, p = 0.015), Ep (r = 0.358, p = 0.005) and PWV (r = 0.306, p = 0.015), but negatively with AC (r = -0.236, p = 0.049). In conclusion, the ET technique is a simple practical method for evaluating carotid artery elasticity, and there is a significant correlation between carotid artery stiffness and level of hs-HSCRP in patients with CSF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: dezhao.w@126.com.
authors.forename: De-Zhao
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Xia
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: 168hewen@sina.com.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Bu-Xing
authors.initials: BX
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
keywords: Carotid artery; Coronary slow flow; Echo-tracking technology; High-sensitivity C-reactive protein; Ultrasonography