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New trends in coronary artery disease: the role of granulocyte activation
G Ricevuti1, A Mazzone, S De Servi
1Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, S. Matteo Hospital University of Pavia, Italy.
Insights
Neutrophil aggregation and oxidase activity increase in coronary sinus blood of coronary artery disease patients, suggesting a role in vascular injury. Superoxide generation decreases, indicating complex oxygen radical involvement.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Immunology
- Pathophysiology
Background:
- Granulocytes, particularly neutrophils, are implicated in microvascular perfusion and organ damage.
- Neutrophil activation and oxygen radical release can worsen ischemic tissue injury.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate neutrophil aggregation and oxygen metabolite release in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).
- To compare these parameters in aorta and coronary sinus blood to understand in vivo neutrophil behavior in CAD.
Main Methods:
- Blood samples were collected from 16 CAD patients and 6 controls from both aorta and coronary sinus.
- Neutrophil aggregation and oxygen metabolite release (oxidase activity, superoxide generation) were measured.
Main Results:
- Neutrophil aggregation and oxidase activity were significantly higher in coronary sinus blood compared to aorta in CAD patients (P < 0.01).
- Superoxide generation was decreased in the coronary sinus blood of CAD patients (P < 0.05).
- These findings were not observed in control subjects.
Conclusions:
- Neutrophil aggregation and oxidase activity in coronary sinus blood suggest their involvement in neutrophil-endothelial interactions and tissue damage in CAD.
- Neutrophil-derived oxygen radicals may play a role in the pathogenesis of vascular injury in vivo.
- The observed decrease in superoxide generation warrants further investigation into the complex role of oxygen radicals in CAD.
Abstract:
Circulating granulocytes play an important role in microvascular perfusion and organ pathology. Oxygen radicals released by aggregated and activated neutrophils may exacerbate the tissue damage caused by ischemia. We studied neutrophil aggregation and oxygen metabolites release in 16 patients suffering from coronary artery disease and in 6 control subjects in aorta and coronary sinus blood samples. The neutrophil aggregation (P less than 0.01) and oxidase activity (P less than 0.01) are higher in coronary sinus than aorta samples only in the patients with respect to controls. While the superoxide generation is decreased in coronary sinus (P less than 0.05). Our aggregation assay supported the potential role of granulocytes in neutrophil-endothelial interactions and tissue damage, and our results about oxidase activity and superoxide release suggested the potential role for neutrophil-derived oxygen radicals in the pathogenesis of vascular injury in vivo.