Key result
Symptomatic coronary artery ectasia linked to higher inflammatory cytokines and reduced coronary flow vs asymptomatic disease.
Why the study?
Coronary artery ectasia can cause adverse outcomes, and clinical symptoms can still occur in isolated CAE without stenosis; this study investigated the relationship between clinical features and circulating inflammatory markers in isolated CAE.
Are clinical symptoms in patients with isolated coronary artery ectasia associated with elevated circulating inflammatory markers and reduced coronary blood flow?
Cohort (n=77)
No
Are clinical symptoms in patients with isolated coronary artery ectasia associated with elevated circulating inflammatory markers and reduced coronary blood flow?
In patients with isolated coronary artery ectasia, the presence of clinical symptoms is associated with increased systemic inflammation (elevated IL-1β and TNF-α) and slower coronary blood flow.
Symptoms in isolated CAE associate with higher inflammation and slower flow; hypothesis-generating, requiring prospective trials before any practice change.
Background and aims Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) can lead to adverse clinical outcomes, including coronary spasm, thrombosis, dissection and myocardial ischaemia. In patients with isolated CAE– in the absence of coronary artery stenosis, clinical symptoms such as angina pectoris may still occur. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between clinical features and circulating inflammatory marker levels in patients with isolated CAE. Methods Patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) who consented to participate underwent cardiovascular disease and risk assessment. The study enrolled 52 patients with isolated CAE and 25 control individuals with normal coronary angiograms. Coronary blood flow in the three groups was assessed using the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) frame count. Levels of inflammatory markers-including C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-8 (IL-8), IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) – were measured in the circulating blood of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with isolated CAE and compared between the two groups. Results Symptomatic patients with isolated CAE showed significantly higher circulating levels of IL-1β and TNF-α than asymptomatic patients ( p< 0.05). In addition, coronary TIMI frame counts were lower (indicating slower blood flow) in symptomatic patients compared with asymptomatic individuals ( p< 0.05). Conclusions In patients with isolated CAE, the presence of symptoms is associated with elevated circulating levels of pro-inflammatory markers such as IL-1β and TNF-α, as well as reduced coronary blood flow.
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Ou et al. (2026) conducted a cohort in Isolated Coronary Artery Ectasia (ICAE) (n=77). Presence of symptoms (symptomatic vs. asymptomatic) vs. Asymptomatic isolated CAE and normal controls was evaluated on Circulating levels of TNF-α (pg/ml) (p=0.043). Symptomatic patients with isolated coronary artery ectasia exhibited significantly higher circulating levels of pro-inflammatory markers such as TNF-α and IL-1β, as well as reduced coronary blood flow, compared to asymptomatic patients.
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