Copeptin Level in Isolated Coronary Artery Ectasia

Abstract

Introduction: The level of copeptin was investigated in patients who underwent coronary angiography for suspected coronary artery disease and diagnosed with isolated coronary artery ectasia (CAE). Patients and Methods: A total of 308 patients were diagnosed as having coronary ectasia out of 3412 patients who underwent coronary angiography between May 2015 and July 2016. The evaluations were performed by two experienced physicians who were aware of the study design. Among these patients, 41 patients who did not have severe coronary artery disease (CAD) and who were diagnosed as having isolated CAE were included in the study. The control group comprised 33 age- and gender-matched individuals diagnosed as having normal coronary arteries following coronary angiography for suspected CAD. Patients with a previous coronary revascularization for severe CAD, known congestive heart disease and severe cardiac valve disease, and a left ventricular ejection fraction below 50% were excluded from the study. Blood samples were obtained from both groups and the serum copeptin levels were compared with each other. Results: Among patients with CAE, the frequency of isolated CAE was 14.9%. Among the total coronary angiography series, the frequency of isolated CAE was 1.34%. Most patients with isolated CAE were men (70%; women: 30%), and the mean age of the patients was 58 ± 9.2 years. In patients with isolated CAE, the frequencies of type I, type II, type III, and type IV CAE were found to be 4.3%, 17.4%, 32.6%, and 45.6%, respectively, according to Markis classification. The level of copeptin was found to be 7.8 ± 0.9 pmol/L in patients with normal coronary arteries and 9.7 ± 1.6 pmol/L in patients with isolated CAE (p< 0.028). Conclusion: The level of copeptin is increased in patients with isolated CAE. However, our results have to be supported by long-term randomized studies on isolated CAE patients with and high copeptin levels.