Effects of Total Coronary Artery Occlusion on Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Transforming Growth Factor β

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β1) play an important role in angiogenesis. We wanted to determine if concentrations of growth factors in the coronary sinus (CS) and right atrium (RA) are higher in coronary artery disease patients with total occlusions than in those with partial occlusions. Fifty-one patients scheduled for coronary artery angiography were evaluated for possible recruitment. A 6F Goodale-Lubin catheter was used to collect blood from the CS and RA. Data for all but four patients were gathered successfully, leaving 47 study patients. The reviewer was blinded to growth factor data when interpreting coronary angiographic findings. Of the 47 enrolled patients, 32 had at least one diseased vessel, seven of whom had at least one major total epicardial coronary occlusion. In all 32 patients, the concentrations of VEGF in the CS were higher than those in the RA (31.5 ± 2.7 vs 27.1 ± 1.8 pg/mL; p = 0.005). Patients with total occlusions had higher VEGF concentrations in the CS than those with non-total occlusions (38.9 ± 8.0 vs 29.5 ± 2.6 pg/mL; p = 0.037). The differences in TGF-β1 in the two groups were not statistically significant. The higher CS VEGF concentrations in patients with total occlusion indicate that VEGF may play a part in the development of angiogenesis.