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New indicator of cellular ischemia in coronary slow-flow phenomenon: Cell-free DNA
Mustafa Yolcu1, Ali Dogan1, Nuri Kurtoglu1
1Department of Cardiology, Yeni Yüzyıl University Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey.
Insights
Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) levels were significantly higher in patients with coronary slow-flow phenomenon (CSFP), indicating cellular-level ischemia. This finding suggests cfDNA may serve as a biomarker for CSFP and associated microvascular disruption.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Coronary slow-flow phenomenon (CSFP) is characterized by delayed coronary blood flow.
- Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is released from cells and circulates in the blood.
- cfDNA is recognized as a potential indicator of cellular ischemia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether cfDNA levels are elevated in patients diagnosed with CSFP.
- To explore the relationship between cfDNA and cellular-level ischemia in CSFP.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 46 patients: 23 with CSFP and 23 with normal coronary angiograms (NCA).
- Analysis included plasma cfDNA levels, clinical, biochemical, and angiographic data.
- Statistical comparison of cfDNA levels between the CSFP and NCA groups.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in baseline clinical or laboratory characteristics were observed between the groups.
- Plasma cfDNA levels were markedly higher in the CSFP group (5.04±2.37 ng/µL) compared to the NCA group (2.28±1.09 ng/µL).
- The difference in cfDNA levels was statistically significant (p<0.001).
Conclusions:
- The study confirms significantly increased cfDNA levels in CSFP patients.
- Elevated cfDNA is attributed to cellular-level ischemia resulting from microvascular disruption in CSFP.
- cfDNA emerges as a potential biomarker for assessing ischemia in CSFP.
Objective:
Coronary slow-flow phenomenon (CSFP) is defined as the delayed arrival of coronary blood flow to the distal vascular bed in at least 1 major epicardial coronary artery. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is a type of DNA that circulates freely in the blood once released from nucleated cells. The aim of this study was to determine if the level of cfDNA, which is an indicator of ischemia at the cellular level, was increased in CSFP.
Methods:
The study included 46 patients in total: 23 patients with CSFP and 23 with a normal coronary angiogram (NCA). The level of cfDNA, and clinical, biochemical, and angiographic features of the groups were compared.
Results:
The mean age was 53.8±10.3 years for the CSFP patient group and 56.6±9.4 years for the NCA patient group. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of basal clinical characteristics or laboratory data. The plasma cfDNA level was 5.04±2.37 ng/µL in the CSFP patients and 2.28±1.09 ng/µL in the NCA group (p<0.001).
Conclusion:
Several invasive and noninvasive studies conducted on patients with CSFP have revealed myocardial ischemia. The results of this study demonstrated that the level of cfDNA was significantly increased in patients with CSFP as a result of ischemia at the cellular level caused by microvascular disruption.
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