Humoral and cellular factors responsible for coronary collateral formation.

Clinical observations suggest that patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) display a marked heterogenerty in collateral formation despite similar degrees of coronary obstruction. The development of coronary collaterals helps protect the myocardium from ischemic damage, yet the factors responsible for collateral formation are poorly understood. To better understand the biochemical and cellular mechanisms of collateral artery formation, monocyte function and circulating levels of pro- and antiangiogenic factors were measured in 101 patients with angiographically assessed CAD and extensively developed (score 2, n = 33) or absent (score 0, n = 68) collateral circulations.

Transcriptional profiling in coronary artery disease: indications for novel markers of coronary collateralization.

Background: The development of collateral circulation plays an important role in protecting tissues from ischemic damage, and its stimulation has emerged as one of principal approaches to therapeutic angiogenesis. Clinical observations have documented substantial differences in the extent of collateralization among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), with some individuals demonstrating marked abundance and others showing nearly complete absence of these vessels. Recent studies have suggested that circulating monocytes play a major role in collateral growth.