Serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with angina pectoris and acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations are altered in several kinds of coronary heart disease patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using a VEGF enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), serum VEGF concentrations were determined in antecubital venous blood of 16 patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP), 16 with unstable angina pectoris (UAP) and 16 with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) before and after thrombolytic therapy, and of 16 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers who used as controls.

RESULTS

The concentrations of serum VEGF in patients with SAP (98.60 +/- 26.99 pg/ml) and UAP (103.61 +/- 24.89 pg/ml) tended to be higher than those in control subjects (80.44 +/- 24.57 pg/ml), but the differences did not reach statistical significance (P > 0.05 for each). Before thrombolytic therapy, the concentrations of serum VEGF in patients with AMI (285.92 +/- 125.15 pg/ml) were significantly higher than those in patients with SAP, UAP or control subjects (P < 0.01, respectively), and correlated with synchronous serum creatine kinase (CK) and its MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) contents (r = 0.866, P < 0.001 and r = 0.948, P < 0.001; respectively). Three hours after thrombolysis, the concentrations of VEGF had fallen to 111.57 +/- 31.29 pg/ml (P < 0.01 vs x before thrombolytic therapy and P < 0.05 vs x control subjects).

CONCLUSION

The present study shows that serum concentrations of VEGF in patients with AMI are markedly elevated and that increased serum VEGF levels may be one of the most sensitive indexes in diagnosing AMI and judging reperfusion.