Notice: Users may be experiencing issues with displaying some pages on stanfordhealthcare.org. We are working closely with our technical teams to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.
 

Learn about the flu shot, COVID-19 vaccine, and our masking policy »

Stanford Health Care

Coronary artery distensibility and compensatory vessel enlargement - a novel parameter influencing vascular remodeling? BASIC RESEARCH IN CARDIOLOGY Jeremias, A., Spies, C., Herity, N. A., Ward, M. R., Pomerantsev, E., Yock, P., Fitzgerald, P. J., Yeung, A. C. 2001; 96 (5): 506-512

Abstract

Vascular remodeling implies the concept of compensatory vessel enlargement to preserve luminal dimensions during atheromatous plaque development. However, negative remodeling, i.e. vessel shrinkage in response to plaque accumulation has also been described. So far, the factors influencing positive or negative remodeling are uncertain. We hypothesized that vascular distensibility, a measure of vessel compliance, is related to compensatory enlargement. In 58 patients undergoing intravascular ultrasound interrogation of a de novo lesion prior to coronary intervention, the cross-sectional vessel area (VA), lumen area (LA) and plaque area (PA = VA minus LA) were measured at end diastole and end systole at the lesion site and at the proximal and distal reference segments. Positive remodeling was defined to be present when the VA at the lesion was > 1.05 times larger than that at the proximal reference (group A), negative remodeling when the VA at the lesion was < 0.95 of the reference site (group C) and in-between was considered to be intermediate (group B). Vessel compliance was measured by calculating vascular distensibility. Results showed a similar LA at the lesion site in all groups (4.18+/-2.18 vs. 4.36+/-1.19 vs. 3.74+/-1.81 mm2, NS) while VA and PA were significantly larger in group A (17.19+/-5.08 vs. 14.22+/-3.66 and 12.45+/-4.82 mm2, p = 0.005 and 13+/-4.55 vs. 9.95+/-3.58 and 8.7+/-3.83, p = 0.003, respectively). Vascular distensibility at the proximal reference segment was significantly greater in group A (3.55+/-2.67 vs. 1.25+/-1.03 and 0.85+/-0.73 mmHg(-1), p < 0.001) with a positive correlation between remodeling and distensibility (R = 0.52, p < 0.001). In a multiple regression model including clinical and lesional factors, distensibility was the only predictor of remodeling. In conclusion, these results suggest that compensatory vessel enlargement occurs to a greater degree in patients with increased coronary artery distensibility, which appears to be a predictor for positive remodeling.

View details for Web of Science ID 000171129800011

View details for PubMedID 11605998