The correlation between carotid and femoral pulse wave velocity and composition of the ascending aorta in the patients with coronary disease / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the association between carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and composition of the ascending aorta in patients with coronary heart disease (CAD),Methods The study population comprised 60 consecutive CAD patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery in Qilu Hospital of Shandong University.cfPWV vas measured using an automatic device (Complior,Artech,France).A quantitative study was conducted on ascending aorta specimens by histological observation (Masson staining and weigert's resorcin-fuchsin staining) and computer image analysis.Bivariate analyses were performed to study the association between composition of the ascending aortic media and cfPWV.Results cfPWV of the CAD patients was higher (14.2±2.0) m/s than that of the normal subjects.On Masson's-stained specimen slides,disorganization of smooth muscle and focal accumulations of collagen (44.1 ± 3.9)％ were visible alongthe medial aorta of the CAD patients.Weigert's-stained cross sections of the ascending aortic media in CAD patients frequently exhibited focal breakdown or discontinuous segments of elastic fibers(18.4±3.2)％,cfPWV had a positive correlation with relative contents of collagen in the ascending aorta(r=0.68,P＜0.01)and a negative correlation vith relative contents of elastin in the ascending aorta (r=-0.59,P＜0.01),but no relation with relative contents of smooth muscle(r=0.01,P＞0.05).Conclusions The reduced aortic elasticity in CAD patients can be partly ascribed to decreased elastin,increased collagen,and their disorganization.cfPWV can reflect the quantitative changes of collagen and elastin in the ascending aortic media in CAD patients.