Sublingual Sidestream Dark Field (SDF) Microscopy With GlycoCheck Analysis in Individuals With and Without...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Microcirculation Imaging
• Atherosclerosis Diagnostics

Background:

• Microvascular density and endothelial glycocalyx function are potential early indicators of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
• Sublingual sidestream darkfield (SDF) microscopy enables visualization of red blood cells (RBC) for microcirculation assessment.
• Defining reference ranges for SDF parameters in healthy individuals and those with coronary artery disease (CAD) is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish reference ranges for SDF microscopy parameters in healthy populations.
• To compare SDF parameters between healthy individuals and those with coronary artery disease (CAD).
• To identify factors correlated with microcirculatory abnormalities using SDF microscopy.

Main Methods:

• Adults with and without CVD risk factors and epicardial CAD underwent SDF microscopy.
• A CapiScope Handheld Video Capillaroscopy System and Glycocheck software were utilized.
• Key parameters measured included perfused boundary region, percent RBC filling (%RBC), and microvascular density.

Main Results:

• A total of 413 individuals were analyzed, including healthy adults, those with CVD risk factors, and those with obstructive CAD.
• Participants with obstructive CAD exhibited higher perfused boundary region, lower %RBC, and lower microvascular density compared to healthy adults.
• However, substantial overlap in microvascular parameters was observed between groups.

Conclusions:

• Obstructive CAD was not independently associated with sublingual microvascular parameters after adjusting for demographics and CVD risk factors.
• The significant overlap in microvascular parameters between patients with and without CAD limits the clinical utility of SDF microscopy for identifying traditional CVD.
• Further research may be needed to refine the application of SDF microscopy in CVD assessment.