Association between impaired cutaneous microvascular endothelial function and lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 in patients with coronary slow flow

Objective: Although increasing studies indicate coronary slow flow (CSF) is a systemic microvascular disorder, whether there is impaired cutaneous microvascular endothelial function in CSF patients remains unclear. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the cutaneous microvascular endothelial function of CSF patients is impaired and correlates with lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1(LOX-1). Methods: 39 patients with CSF and 45 controls with normal coronary flow were enrolled. Velocity of coronary flow was quantitatively identified by thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count (TFC) method. LSCI system was used to assess subjects' cutaneous blood flow at rest and during PORH. Serum soluble LOX-1(sLOX-1) level was measured in all study subjects. Results: PORH-induced vasodilation was significantly reduced in CSF group in comparison with control group (0.26 +/- 0.10 vs 0.35 +/- 0.07 APU/mmHg, P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with the mean TFC for three coronary arteries (r = -0.385, P = 0.016). Serum sLOX-1 level in CSF group was significantly increased (582.93 +/- 74.89 vs 483.64 +/- 51.38 pg/ml, P < 0.001) and positively correlated with mean TFC(r = 0.467, P = 0.003).PORH response amplitudes had a significantly negative relationship with serum sLOX-1 level in CSF patients (r = -0.588, P < 0.001). Conclusion: These data suggest that cutaneous microvascular endothelial function is impaired in patients with CSF, which is closely associated with increased LOX-1 expression.