Article

Plasma endothelin-1 levels in patients with angina pectoris and normal coronary angiograms.

Cattedra di Cardiologia, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Italy.
American Heart Journal (impact factor: 4.65). 05/1998; 135(4):684-8.
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Some patients with typical angina and electrocardiographic evidence of ischemia have normal coronary angiograms. These patients have a reduced coronary flow reserve and abnormal endothelium-dependent vasodilator responses; this syndrome is known as microvascular angina. Among endothelium-derived peptides, endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictor and an important modulator of microvascular function.
Plasma ET-1 was measured in 13 patients with typical angina, instrumental evidence of ischemia, and normal arteriograms and in 20 normal control subjects.
Mean concentration of ET-1 was 2.89+/-1.24 pmol/L in patients with angina and normal angiograms and 1.99+/-0.81 pmol/L in normal control subjects (p < 0.02). Plasma levels of ET-1 values were significantly higher in patients with angina, positive exercise test results for ischemia, and normal coronary arteriograms compared with the group of patients with no clinical or instrumental evidence of ischemia.
This is consistent with the hypothesis that in patients with microvascular angina, an endothelial dysfunction in the coronary vascular area caused by impaired endothelium-derived ET-1 could play an active role in the disease process.

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Keywords

13 patients
 
20 normal control subjects
 
abnormal endothelium-dependent vasodilator responses
 
active role
 
disease process
 
electrocardiographic evidence
 
endothelial dysfunction
 
endothelium-derived ET-1
 
endothelium-derived peptides
 
ET-1 values
 
instrumental evidence
 
microvascular function
 
normal arteriograms
 
normal control subjects
 
normal coronary arteriograms
 
Plasma ET-1
 
positive exercise test results
 
potent vasoconstrictor
 
reduced coronary flow reserve
 
typical angina
 

E Hoffmann