(Circulation. 2003;107:2507.)
© 2003 American Heart Association, Inc.
Special Review |
From the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care (www.juliuscenter.nl) (J.K., Y.v.d.G., D.E.G.) and Department of Cardiology, Heart Lung Center Utrecht (P.P.Th.d.J.), University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Correspondence to Diederick E. Grobbee, MD, PhD, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMC Utrecht), HP D 01.335, Heidelberglaan 100, P.O. Box 85.500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands. E-mail: D.E.Grobbee{at}jc.azu.nl
Key Words: angiogenesis collateral circulation coronary disease growth substances prevention
| Introduction |
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In the present article, we propose why coronary collaterals are important, and why this individual potential to develop collaterals should be considered an additional indicator of cardiac vulnerability. Also, we review determinants that play a role in collateral coronary blood supply.
| Coronary Collateral Circulation: Current Knowledge |
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| Risk Factors, Trigger Factors, and Myocardial Vulnerability |
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Probably, apart from the extent of coronary atherosclerosis, the sensitivity of organs to episodes of ischemia is of importance. Therefore, other factors may play a role as well: notably, the presence of a collateral circulation. An organ may be less sensitive to episodes of ischemia if it is supplied with sufficient blood flow by well-developed collateral vessels. Coronary collaterals thus may protect the heart and prevent ischemic cardiac events.
Trigger Factors
By 1986, Oliver18 had introduced a scheme summarizing the most important determinants for the occurrence of cardiovascular events in the presence of atherosclerosis: coronary atherosclerosis, trigger factors, and myocardial vulnerability (Figure 2).18 The presence of atherosclerosis or a vulnerable myocardium in itself does not have to result in the occurrence of symptomatic events. At this point, trigger factors may play an important role. Trigger factors are factors that promote rapid occlusion of arterial vessels already compromised by atherosclerosis, thus "triggering" sudden reductions of coronary flow and ischemia.18 Although particularly clear for coronary heart disease, this is likely to apply to the occurrence of ischemic events in other vascular beds as well, such as the brain. The concept of trigger factors is of vital importance in understanding the final phase of atherosclerotic CVD, when it shifts from asymptomatic to symptomatic diseasea phase in which thrombosis is central.14 Plaque rupture with superimposed thrombosis is the main cause of acute coronary syndromes, including unstable angina, MI, and sudden cardiac death.19 Many mechanical and biological factors are involved in determining plaque stability and in the process leading to plaque rupture, including (among others) plaque architecture (thickness of fibrous cap, location of lipid core), mechanical forces (shear stress, repetitive deformation), extracellular matrix biology (synthesis and degradation), and inflammation.20 Recently, Moons et al19 showed that tissue factor, a potent initiator of the coagulation cascade, may play a key role in determining plaque thrombogenicity.
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In addition to thrombogenic factors, other candidates may act as trigger factors, although they may eventually affect thrombogenesis as well, such as sympathetic nervous system activity, vasoactive hormones, smoking, and psychosocial stress.14,21
Myocardial Vulnerability
Equally important is the concept of myocardial sensitivity to episodes of ischemia due to reduced coronary flow. The ischemic episode has to exceed a specific threshold value in duration or severity, in order to produce clinical events such as sudden MI or even sudden cardiac death. This threshold value depends on the sensitivity of the myocardium to ischemia, which is determined by (among other factors) its level of protectionfor example, by the presence of a collateral circulation.
At present, there are few methods to simply measure the sensitivity of the myocardium to ischemia due to sudden partial or complete reduction of blood supply.18,17 Important factors that have been shown to negatively affect myocardial vulnerability include left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), diastolic heart failure, and previous MI. These conditions are frequently present in older individuals.14,22 The presence of LVH predisposes to ischemia via several mechanisms.23 There is an inadequate coronary growth relative to muscle mass, resulting in a decreased capillary density. The increased wall thickness increases the epicardialendocardial distance, resulting in greater transmural loss of subendocardial perfusion pressure and lower subendocardial perfusion pressure. Coronary remodelling occurs with increased medial thickness and perivascular fibrosis. This results in an altered coronary vascular resting tone and a limited ability to increase myocardial perfusion and coronary flow, and a rise in oxygen demand in response to stress. A vicious cycle is created, in which LVH predisposes to ischemia, the ischemia causes an exaggerated impairment of relaxation in the heart with LVH, and this in turn worsens the severity of the subendocardial ischemia.23
Other factors that affect myocardial vulnerability include smoking, chronic renal insufficiency, diabetes mellitus, systemic hypertension, restrictive cardiomyopathy (most often amyloidosis), aortic valve stenosis, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.22
| Determinants of Coronary Collateral Circulation |
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, VEGF, and basic fibroblast growth factor [b-FGF]) induce proliferation of endothelial cells, whereas factors stimulating arteriogenesis (among others, TGF-ß, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF], and b-FGF) also induce proliferation of smooth muscle cells.11
Pressure Gradient and Shear Stresses
The process of arteriogenesis is mediated mechanically through an increase in shear stresses.11 For example, in the event of a hemodynamically relevant stenosis of a main feeding artery, a pressure gradient is created and collateral arteries are recruited. Because of the decrease in arterial pressure distal to the stenosis, blood flow is redistributed through the preexistent arterioles that now connect a high-pressure with a low-pressure area.2,11 This results in an increased flow velocity and therefore increased shear stress in the preexistent collateral arteries, which leads to a marked activation of the endothelium, upregulation of cell adhesion molecules, and increased adherence of monocytes, which transform into macrophages. Subsequently, several morphological changes and vascular remodeling occur.11,10
Growth Factors
Different growth factors and chemokines are involved in angiogenesis and arteriogenesis.11,10 These include VEGF, TGF-
, and acidic fibroblast growth factor (a-FGF) in angiogenesis; and GM-CSF, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and TGF-ß in arteriogenesis. Some growth factors play a role in both processes: for example, b-FGF and PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor).11,10 In ischemic tissue, enhanced expression of several angiogenic factors and their receptors has been demonstrated.10 Conversely, impaired collateral circulation in diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and aging has been associated with reduced expression of angiogenic factors.26 Several studies have reported increased levels of circulating angiogenic factors in patients with ischemic heart disease, stroke, or limb ischemia, probably in response to tissue ischemia and injury.12 Finally, Sasayama et al2 observed that mast cells are associated with neovascularization by increasing endothelial cell migration as the earliest event in the formation of a capillary sprout. They even proposed to treat ischemic heart disease with drugs (heparin) to promote the development of coronary collateral circulation. Since then, this concept of therapeutic angiogenesis and arteriogenesis has attracted much attention.11 Interesting results have recently been published on therapeutic angiogenesis in peripheral artery disease by enhancing collateral development through administration of angiogenic growth factors.27,28 In ischemic heart disease, early studies, using recombinant proteins, or genes encoding for vascular growth factors, showed encouraging results with clinical improvement, and suggested slightly improved myocardial perfusion in the treated area. However, subsequent trials failed to demonstrate a treatment effect.11,12
| Collateral Circulation and Prognosis |
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Collateral circulation can be visualized on coronary angiography.34 The degree of collateral filling on angiography has been related to AP and the extent of previous MI in patients with CAD.29,30 Similarly, the degree of collateral filling could predict the presence of residual viable myocardium in patients with an old MI.30 However, studies in which collateral extent and function are studied as prognostic determinants of vascular outcome are hardly available. Only recently, Antoniucci et al35 published a study on the significance of preintervention angiographic evidence of coronary collateral circulation in patients with acute MI who underwent primary angioplasty or stenting within 6 hours of symptom onset. At 6 months, the mortality rate was lower in patients with coronary collateral circulation compared with patients without collaterals, without clear effects on clinical outcomes.35
However, this study only considers the presence of coronary collaterals in patients with acute MI. Also, the duration of follow-up was rather short. Clearly, cardiovascular end-point studies with long-term follow-up are needed, in which collateral extent and function are studied as prognostic determinants of vascular outcome in patients with significant atherosclerosis.
We postulate that the potential of individuals to develop collaterals should be considered an additional indicator of cardiac vulnerability. The ability to develop collaterals is likely to provide an important response to vascular occlusive disease and to determine in part the severity of ischemic tissue damage.
| Conclusion |
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| Acknowledgments |
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| References |
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