Relationship between peripheral and coronary function using laser Doppler imaging and transthoracic echocardiography

• Published in: Clinical science (1979) Vol. 115; no. 9-10; pp. 295 - 300
• Main Authors: KHAN, Faisel, PATTERSON, Dean, BELCH, Jill J. F, HIRATA, Kumiko, LANG, Chim C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Portland Press 01.11.2008
• Subjects: Acetylcholine; Adenosine; Adolescent; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Flow Velocity; Cardiology. Vascular system; Coronary Circulation; Coronary heart disease; Coronary Vessels - diagnostic imaging; Coronary Vessels - physiopathology; General aspects; Heart; Humans; Iontophoresis - methods; Laser-Doppler Flowmetry - methods; Medical sciences; Microcirculation; Middle Aged; Nitroprusside; Regional Blood Flow; Reproducibility of Results; Skin - blood supply; Ultrasonography; Vasodilator Agents; Sonography; skin circulation; Echocardiography; cardiovascular event; Coronary artery; Cardiovascular disease; laser Doppler imaging; Coronary heart disease; Medicine; coronary circulation; Laser dopplerometry; vascular dysfunction; Dysfunction; Blood vessel; Medical imagery; Skin
• ISSN: 0143-5221; 1470-8736
• DOI: 10.1042/cs20070431

Vascular dysfunction in the coronary and peripheral circulations is an early prognostic marker of future cardiovascular events. Measurements of coronary and peripheral vascular function in resistance vessels can be made, but rely on invasive procedures, which make them unsuitable for routine application. An assessment of the direct correlation between vascular responses in skin and coronary vessels has not been made previously. In 27 normal healthy subjects (18-55 years of age), we examined the relationship between peripheral and coronary vascular function. Cutaneous perfusion was measured using the non-invasive technique of laser Doppler imaging during iontophoresis of acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside, and cutaneous vascular conductance was calculated (laser Doppler perfusion/mean arterial pressure). Coronary flow reserve was measured using transthoracic echocardiography during intravenous adenosine infusion. Mean diastolic velocities were measured at baseline and peak hyperaemic conditions from the Doppler signal recordings. CVR (coronary velocity reserve) was defined as the ratio of hyperaemic to basal mean diastolic velocities. There were significant positive correlations between CVR and cutaneous vascular conductance for acetylcholine (r=0.399, P=0.039) and sodium nitroprusside (r=0.446, P=0.020). These results support the idea that peripheral measurements of skin blood flow are representative of generalized microvascular function including that of the coronary circulation in normal healthy subjects.