Objectives: To explore whether local growth factors concentration, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor beta one (TGF-beta(1)), influence the formation of coronary collaterals.
Design: Thirty-six patients scheduled for coronary angiography received a 6F Goodale-Lubin catheterization to collect blood from the coronary sinus (CS) and right atrium (RA).
Results: Patients with coronary collaterals had a higher number of diseased vessels (2.6+/-0.2 vs. 1.4+/-0.3, p = 0.005), higher percentage of severity of stenosis (93+/-2 vs. 48+/-8, P < 0.001) and higher VEGF concentrations in CS (38.9+/-3.9 pg/ml vs. 20.8+/-1.4 pg/ml, P < 0.001) and in RA (31.7+/-3.1 pg/ml vs. 22.0+/-2.3 pg/ml, p = 0.004). There was no significant relationship between coronary collateral formation and TGF-beta(1) concentration. By binary logistic regression analysis, VEGF concentrations in CS (p = 0.030) and stenosis severity (p = 0.042) are correlated positively with collateral formation.
Conclusions: The association between local, endogenous secretion of VEGF and coronary collateral formation is compatible with a paracrine role for this growth factor in pathophysiologic collateral formation.