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Updated: Mar 19, 2026

Intracoronary Acetylcholine Provocation Testing for Assessment of Coronary Vasomotor Disorders
Published on: August 18, 2016
Predictive value of coronary artery dilation response to nitrate for a positive intracoronary acetylcholine
Yuichi Saito1, Hideki Kitahara, Toshihiro Shoji
1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan.
Insights
Coronary artery dilation response to nitrate better predicts positive acetylcholine tests than baseline diameter. This finding is crucial for assessing coronary vasoreactivity and guiding cardiovascular diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Physiology
Background:
- Coronary artery diameter and nitrate-induced dilation are linked to vasoreactivity.
- Assessing coronary vasoreactivity is vital for cardiovascular health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if coronary artery tone predicts positive acetylcholine (ACh) provocation tests.
- To compare the predictive accuracy of baseline diameter versus nitrate response.
Main Methods:
- 197 patients underwent right coronary artery ACh provocation tests.
- Positive test defined by transient occlusion and ischemic symptoms.
- Quantitative analysis of coronary artery diameter and dilation response to isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN).
Main Results:
- 24.9% of patients had a positive ACh test.
- Smaller baseline diameter and greater ISDN dilation response were associated with positive tests.
- ISDN dilation response (AUC 0.87) was a significantly better predictor than baseline diameter (AUC 0.71).
Conclusions:
- Coronary artery dilation response to nitrate is a superior predictor of positive ACh tests.
- This highlights the importance of dynamic vasoreactivity assessment over static diameter measurements.
Background:
Baseline coronary artery diameter and coronary artery dilation response to nitrate are associated with coronary vasoreactivity.
Objectives:
The present study investigated the predictive value of coronary artery tone for a positive intracoronary acetylcholine (ACh) provocation test.
Methods:
A total of 197 patients who underwent an ACh provocation test in the right coronary artery were included. A positive ACh provocation test was defined as transient total or subtotal occlusion of a coronary artery with signs/symptoms of myocardial ischemia. The segment, from the ostium to the bifurcation, of the right coronary artery was analyzed quantitatively. Coronary artery dilation response to isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) was defined as the mean lumen diameter after an intracoronary injection of ISDN divided by the diameter before administration of ACh (i.e. baseline coronary artery diameter).
Results:
After the administration of ACh, 49 patients (24.9%) had a positive ACh provocation test. Smaller baseline right coronary artery diameter (2.35±0.45 vs. 2.73±0.48 mm, P<0.001) and greater right coronary artery dilation response to ISDN (1.34±0.12 vs. 1.15±0.11, P<0.001) were observed in patients with a positive ACh provocation test. The receiver operating characteristic curve for baseline coronary artery diameter poorly predicted the occurrence of a positive ACh provocation test (area under the curve 0.71). The predictive values of dilation response of the right coronary artery to ISDN for the occurrence of a positive ACh provocation test (area under the curve 0.87) was significantly better compared with that of baseline right coronary artery diameter (P<0.001).
Conclusion:
Coronary artery dilation response to nitrate is a more accurate predictor of a positive intracoronary ACh provocation test compared with baseline coronary artery diameter.
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