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[Unstable angina, Prinzmetal's variant and transient Q waves. Report of a case].

A case is reported of the variant form of Prinzmetal angina, occurring two months after effort angina, in which the electrocardiogram revealed a Q wave in V2 in addition to ST segment elevation in precordial leads all of which disappeared in a few minutes. Several hours later, the ECG changes were suggestive of antero-septal infarction. However, four days later an R wave was present in lead V2, and 12 days after the acute episode, the tracing became entirely normal. Cinecoronary angiography revealed severe obstruction of the anterior descending artery, and a moderate obstruction of the left circumflex artery. The possibilities of spasm and/or coronary thrombosis, of spontaneous recanalization and of reperfusion due to thrombolysis are discussed, in addition to interpreting the abnormal Q waves as presumably due to severe myocardial ischemia resulting from acute coronary insufficiency. The present case exemplifies the concept that the syndromes of acute coronary heart disease cannot always be precisely differentiated, since they often overlap and are difficult to identify.

Angina Pectoris, Variant↗

Sensitivity and specificity of intracoronary injection of acetylcholine for the induction of coronary artery spasm.

Intracoronary injection of acetylcholine has been shown to induce coronary spasm in patients with variant angina. To examine its sensitivity and specificity, incremental doses of acetylcholine (20, 50 and 100 micrograms into the left coronary artery and 20 and 50 micrograms into the right coronary artery) were injected into the coronary artery or arteries in 70 patients with variant angina (Group 1) (mean age 57 years) and 93 patients without variant angina or angina at rest (Group 2) (mean age 54 years). Forty patients of the latter group had atypical chest pain, 16 cardiomyopathy, 14 arrhythmia, 11 valvular disease, 7 stable effort angina due to advanced coronary artery disease, 3 congenital heart disease and 2 hypertension. A temporary cardiac pacemaker set at 40 to 50 beats/min was positioned in the right ventricle. Coronary spasm was defined as total occlusion or severe vasoconstriction associated with chest pain or ischemic ST changes on the electrocardiogram or both. In Group 1, acetylcholine induced spasm in 63 (90%) of the 70 patients in the artery or arteries predicted to be responsible for spontaneous attacks. In Group 2, acetylcholine induced coronary spasm only in one patient with effort angina and advanced coronary artery disease although lesser degrees of vasoconstriction (less than or equal to 75% of the luminal diameter) occurred in most patients after acetylcholine (specificity of acetylcholine thus was 99%). In conclusion, intracoronary injection of acetylcholine is sensitive and reliable for the induction of coronary spasm.

Acetylcholine↗

Diurnal variation in left ventricular function: a study of patients with myocardial ischaemia, syndrome X, and of normal controls.

Angina can occur in the early morning. The mechanism of this is unclear and both haemodynamic changes and coronary artery spasm may be important. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diurnal variation in pulmonary artery diastolic pressure (an indirect measure of left ventricular filling pressure) in six normal subjects, 18 patients with coronary artery disease, five with variant angina, and six with syndrome X. A transducer tipped catheter and a simple recording system were used to record ambulatory pulmonary artery diastolic pressure for 24 hours. Variation in pulmonary artery diastolic pressure was related to the timing of episodes of ST segment depression and elevation by simultaneously recording a frequency modulated electrocardiogram. Episodes of ST segment change occurred predominantly in the early morning (midnight to 6 am) in variant angina (eight out of 14 episodes) whereas in syndrome X all episodes were recorded during the day. In coronary artery disease both painful and painless episodes were distributed throughout the day, with 10 out of 67 episodes occurring between midnight and 6 am. A similar diurnal variation in pulmonary artery diastolic pressure was seen in the groups--that is, values were low during the day and higher at night, with the maximum values between midnight and 6 am. The 24 hour median pulmonary artery diastolic pressure was higher in patients with coronary artery disease than in the control group and those with syndrome X. The finding that pulmonary artery diastolic pressure, and therefore left ventricular end diastolic pressure, is greatest in the early morning may represent the background haemodynamic state in which other factors lead to myocardial ischaemia during these hours.

Adult↗

Absence of Kir6.1/KCNJ8 mutations in Italian patients with abnormal coronary vasomotion.

The disturbances in coronary vasomotor tone have been extensively analyzed, but the exact molecular mechanisms underlying abnormal coronary vasomotion remain to be elucidated. It has been suggested that impaired coronary vasoreactivity can be the expression of a defect in vascular smooth muscle cells. A mouse model of human variant (vasospastic) angina has been recently obtained by disruption of Kir6.1/Kcnj8, a gene coding for a small pore-forming inward rectifier potassium channel. A phenotype resembling variant angina was also reported in mice lacking Sur2, the partner protein of Kir6.1. To better define the role of the smooth muscular ATP-sensitive potassium channels in the pathogenesis of abnormal coronary vasomotion, a complete mutational analysis of Kir6.1/KCNJ8 gene was performed in a series of 18 Italian patients with impaired coronary vasomotility. Polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing of PCR products were done. No mutations were detected in the sample analyzed, thus suggesting that Kir6.1/KCNJ8 aberrations are not a common cause of abnormal coronary vasomotion in Italians. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first mutational analysis of Kir6.1/KCNJ8 gene in humans. Since major racial differences in the prevalence of abnormal coronary vasomotion have been described, further mutation screenings of Kir6.1/KCNJ8 gene are required to assess its role in the pathogenesis of impaired coronary vasomotility among various ethnic groups.

Angina Pectoris, Variant↗

Chronic recurrent angina.

The natural history of variant angina is described in a patient with multiple exacerbations and remissions over a period of several years. Constant in-hospital electrocardiographic monitoring for 26 days documented 569 episodes of ST elevation, 89% of which were asymptomatic. Episodes ranged in duration from 15 seconds to 11 1/2 minutes, with 4% of episodes associated with premature ventricular contractions. Over the course of hospitalization, the episodes of ST elevation decreased in frequency and length, as did episodes of pain. During this period, a number of therapeutic agents, including propranolol, indomethacin, and chlorpheniramine were evaluated using double-blind crossover trials. No agent had a significant beneficial effect on the course of the disease, and there was an increase in the length of episodes with high doses of propranolol. Because of the great variability in the course of this disease, only double-blind crossover trials should be allowed to dictate the efficacy of therapeutic agents.

Angina Pectoris↗

Efficacy of diltiazem for control of symptoms of coronary arterial spasm.

To evaluate the efficacy of the calcium antagonist diltiazem for therapy of active coronary arterial spasm, 13 patients with clinical variant angina attributed to documented coronary arterial spasm completed a prospective randomized double-blind crossover trial of diltiazem (120 and 240 mg/day) versus placebo. Response was assessed with the diary technique measuring frequency of angina, consumption of nitroglycerin and percent of pain-free days. When 120 mg of diltiazem/day was compared with the paired placebo period there was a significant increase in percent of pain-free days (from 43 to 71 percent [p = 0.03]), but no significant decrease in frequency of angina (p = 0.06) or consumption of nitroglycerin (p = 0.32). When 240 mg of diltiazem/day was compared with the paired placebo period there was a significant increase in percent of pain-free days (from 50 to 79 percent [p = 0.03]) and a significant decrease in both frequency of angina (from 1.6 to 0.4 episodes/day [p = 0.03]) and consumption of nitroglycerin (from 1.3 to 0.4/day [p = 0.01]). Diltiazem was found to be a highly effective drug for control of symptoms of active coronary arterial spasm, without side effects and with excellent patient tolerance.

Aged↗

Circulating T-lymphocyte activation in patients with variant angina.

BACKGROUND: Both experimental and pathological studies suggest that immune response and inflammation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of coronary spasm. DESIGN: To elucidate the role of systemic immune and inflammatory responses in the pathogenesis of coronary spasm, we studied circulating T-lymphocyte activation in variant angina patients (VAPs), stable effort angina patients (EAPs) and in control participants. METHODS: Twenty documented VAPs, 13 EAPs and 20 control participants were studied. To evaluate T-lymphocyte activation, T-lymphocyte surface antigen expression, including CD3, CD4, CD8 and HLA-DR, was measured by two-colour flow cytometric analysis. Serum-soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were also measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We restudied 10 of the VAPs to investigate the relationship between the disease activity of variant angina and T-lymphocyte activation. RESULTS: The percentage of CD3+/DR+ T-lymphocytes in VAPs (14.8%) was significantly higher than in EAPs (10.7%, P < 0.05) and control participants (9.7%, P < 0.005); however, levels of sIL-2R were the same among the three groups. Levels of CRP were within normal range in all VAPs. The percentage of CD8+/DR+ T-lymphocytes was significantly higher in VAPs (9.5%, P < 0.005) than in EAPs (5.5%) and control participants (5.9%), whereas the percentage of CD4+/DR+ T-lymphocytes was similar among the three groups. The percentage of activated T-lymphocytes in VAPs was unchanged during the follow-up period (mean intervals, 10 months). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the chronic activation of T-lymphocytes, especially CD8+ T-lymphocytes, may be involved in the pathogenesis of coronary spasm.

Adult↗

[Decreasing the occurrence of arrhythmia during coronary spasm by the early administration of nitrates].

Variant angina is frequently accompanied by serious arrhythmias. The aim of our study was to verify the role of early nitrate administration in prevention of these arrhythmias. We compared arrhythmias occurrence in the course of 104 episodes of chest pain with ST elevation during which short acting nitrate was not administered (group I) and 114 episodes with administration of 2.5 mg isosorbit dinitrate (ISDN) spray (group II). Serious arrhythmias occurred in spontaneous episodes in 41 cases (39%) and in episodes with early ISDN administration in 15 cases (13%). Particular types of arrhythmias were as follows: ventricular premature beats in group I 32 and in group II only 12, supraventricular premature beats 4, resp. 3, A-V block IInd or IIIrd degree 5, resp. 1, ventricular tachycardia 5, resp. 0, junctional bradycardia 0, resp. 1. In conclusion, early administration of nitrates at the very beginning of stenocardia during coronary spasm can prevent or reduce the occurrence of serious arrhythmias.

Angina Pectoris, Variant↗

Values of intravenous ergonovine test with two-dimensional echocardiography for diagnosis of coronary artery spasm.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical validity of the bedside ergonovine test with digital echocardiography and the side-by-side continuous cineloop display method (ergonovine echocardiography) as a noninvasive diagnostic tool for coronary artery spasm. Bedside ergonovine test was performed in 66 patients who showed coronary vasospasm during coronary angiography including provocation testing (group with variant angina) and 39 patients with normal angiograms and no evidence of coronary artery spasm (group with nonanginal pain). A bolus of ergonovine maleate (0.025 or 0.05 mg) was injected at 5-minute intervals up to total cumulative dosage of 0.35 mg, and 12-lead electrocardiography and two-dimensional echocardiography were recorded every 3 minutes after each injection. Left ventricular wall motion was analyzed with a commercially available quad system. The positive criteria of bedside ergonovine test included reversible ST segment elevation or depression on electrocardiograms (ECG criteria) and reversible regional wall motion abnormalities by echocardiography (Echo criteria). The overall sensitivity and specificity of ECG criteria were 53% (35/66; 95% confidence interval 41% to 65%) and 100%, respectively. By Echo criteria the sensitivity increased to 89% (59/66; 95% confidence interval 81% to 97%), with a specificity of 95% (37/39).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Angina Pectoris, Variant↗

Plasma endothelin-1 elevation associated with alcohol-induced variant angina.

Vasospastic angina as a result of alcohol ingestion has been reported, but the mechanism of alcohol-induced coronary artery spasm is presently unknown. This report presents 2 cases of alcohol-induced variant angina (VA) with elevated levels of plasma endothelin-1 after alcohol ingestion. In case 1, the plasma endothelin-1 concentration was 3.15 pg/ml before drinking (normal <2.30 pg/ml) and increased to 4.09 pg/ml when measured 5 h after alcohol ingestion. After 2 months of abstinence, the plasma endothelin-1 concentration was 2.88 pg/ml and 6 months after abstinence, it decreased to 2.03 pg/ml (normal range). In case 2, the plasma endothelin-1 concentration was 2.44 pg/ml before drinking and increased to 4.36 pg/ml when measured 5 h after alcohol ingestion. After 2 months of abstinence, the plasma endothelin-1 concentration was 3.04 pg/ml and 6 months after abstinence, it decreased to 2.09 pg/ml (normal range). These 2 cases suggest that a relationship may exist between alcohol-induced VA and elevation in the plasma endothelin-1 concentration after alcohol ingestion.

Aged↗

Holter ECG study of the electrocardiographic phenomena in Prinzmetal angina attacks with emphasis on the study of ventricular arrhythmias.

The ECG phenomena in 20 outpatients (121 episodes) suffering from variant angina with transient ST segment elevation greater than 1.5 mm. (Prinzmetal angina) were studied by Holter monitoring. The most important changes in the ECG morphology were: a) increased height of the R wave in all cases, b) the S wave decreased or disappeared, c) the ST segment elevation varied from 1.5 to 38 mm, d) the TQ interval was ascending in 78 episodes, e) there was a double alternance of ST-TQ in 20 episodes and f) the first modification of the ECG was an increase of the T wave height. Arrhythmias were seen in 19 patients (44 episodes). The most frequent were premature ventricular contractions. The prevalence and importance of the ventricular arrhythmias were statistically related to the duration of the episodes (p less than 0.005), the degree of the ST segment elevation (p less than 0.005), the presence of ST-TQ alternance (p less than 0.005) and the presence of increased R wave greater than 25% (p less than 0.025).

Angina Pectoris, Variant↗

Suppression of hyperventilation-induced attacks with infusion of B-type (brain) natriuretic peptide in patients with variant angina.

B-type (brain) natriuretic peptide (BNP) forms a peptide family with A-type (atrial) natriuretic peptide (ANP), which is involved in the regulation of blood pressure and fluid volume. We have demonstrated that BNP is a novel cardiac hormone secreted predominantly from the ventricle and that plasma levels of BNP markedly increase in proportion to the severity of congestive heart failure. Spasm of a major coronary artery (coronary spasm) is the cause of variant angina and can be induced by hyperventilation. We examined whether BNP infusion suppresses coronary spasm in patients with variant angina. The effect of BNP infusion on anginal attacks induced by hyperventilation was studied in 11 patients with variant angina in whom the attacks were reproducibly induced by hyperventilation. This study was performed in the early morning on 3 consecutive days. Fourteen minutes after infusion of BNP was begun (day 2, 0.05 micrograms/kg/min) or saline (days 1 and 3), hyperventilation was started and continued for 6 minutes. Anginal attacks were induced in all 11 patients by hyperventilation on days 1 and 3, respectively. Anginal attacks were not induced in any patient on day 2 (BNP infusion). Fourteen minutes after BNP infusion was begun, plasma BNP levels increased from 23.7 +/- 6.7 pg/ml to peak levels of 2591 +/- 255 pg/ml (p < 0.01) and plasma ANP levels increased from 28.9 +/- 7.5 pg/ml to peak levels of 69.2 +/- 13.2 pg/ml. Five minutes after BNP infusion was finished, plasma levels of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) increased from 20.3 +/- 7.4 pg/ml to peak levels of 63.5 +/- 13.7 pg/ml (p < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Coronary hemodynamic effects of ergonovine maleate in human subjects.

The coronary hemodynamic effects of ergonovine maleate were examined in 15 patients with a chest pain syndrome not thought to be variant angina. Ergonovine was given intravenously in sequential doses of 0.05, 0.1 and 0.25 mg while measurements were made of systemic hemodynamic variables, coronary sinus blood flow and coronary arteriovenous oxygen difference at intervals during the protocol. Coronary arterial diameters were measured from the 35 mm cineangiogram. Despite an increase in myocardial metabolic demand, as estimated with the heart-rate-blood pressure product, there was no apparent increase in coronary vascular resistance. In addition, there was a significant widening of the coronary arteriovenous oxygen difference in five of the seven patients in whom it could be measured. However, neither chest pain nor ischemic electrocardiographic changes were evoked. Although ergonovine also produced a diminution in epicardial coronary arterial diameters, this effect was not sufficient to explain the absence of appropriate coronary vasodilation. These results suggest that ergonovine may limit the normal vasodilatory response of the arteriolar bed to increases in myocardial metabolic demand.

Adult↗

Absence of rebound from diltiazem therapy in Prinzmetal's variant angina.

To determine the frequency of rebound anginal symptoms on abrupt withdrawal of calcium channel blocking agents, anginal symptoms were retrospectively examined in patients with Prinzmetal's variant angina abruptly withdrawn from diltiazem therapy as part of the design of a placebo-controlled multiple crossover trial. Rebound was defined as a return of anginal symptoms to levels exceeding those of the pretreatment baseline state. Values for daily frequency of angina were compared (after subtracting corresponding baseline values) between placebo periods following diltiazem periods and placebo periods following placebo periods. No intergroup differences existed between mean changes in daily frequency of angina from baseline value (-0.61 for placebo following diltiazem versus -1.10 for placebo following placebo) (p greater than 0.4). Furthermore, in 13 (28%) of 46 occurrences when placebo followed placebo, daily frequency of angina exceeded baseline value in the immediate 3 day period following placebo compared with 17 (21%) of 80 occurrences when placebo followed diltiazem. There was no increased rebound occurrence comparing high dose (240 mg/day) with low dose (120 mg/day) diltiazem therapy. No significant symptoms such as myocardial infarction or unstable angina occurred after withdrawal of diltiazem or placebo. The lack of difference in rebound after diltiazem or placebo withdrawal was consistent using paired and unpaired analyses. In conclusion, there appears to be no evidence that abrupt withdrawal of therapy with diltiazem results in rebound anginal symptoms.

Angina Pectoris, Variant↗

Computer system for analysis of ST segment changes on 24 hour Holter monitor tapes: comparison with other available systems.

The accuracy of a computer system that was developed for the analysis of ST segment changes recorded on Holter ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring tapes was compared with conventional visual scrutiny, beat by beat analog printouts and a commercial J point trend system. The program calculates and plots multiple electrocardiographically derived variables in a high temporal resolution trend format. Fifty tapes of good recording quality obtained from 19 patients (13 with chronic stable angina and 6 with variant angina) were assessed visually and with the computer system; of these, 20 were analyzed by all four techniques. In the 50 tapes, 629 episodes of diagnostic ST segment changes (all true positive results) were identified by using the computer system. In contrast, only 507 were identified by visual scrutiny; none of these 507 episodes was missed by computer analysis. On the 20 tapes assessed using computer, visual, beat by beat analog and J point trend system analysis, 268, 221, 230 and 178 episodes, respectively, were documented. For the four techniques, false negative and positive results were 0, 47, 38 and 90 and 0, 10, 6 and 24, respectively. The results indicate that, of the systems assessed in this study, the computer program provides the highest accuracy for detection of transient ST segment changes. This is probably accreditable to the compact presentation of multiple electrocardiographically derived variables, allowing a detailed quantitative assessment of 24 hour tapes. It is of particular value for pathophysiologic and pharmacologic studies.

Angina Pectoris↗

Changes in autonomic nervous activity prior to spontaneous coronary spasm in patients with variant angina.

Although the autonomic nervous system has been implicated in the genesis of coronary spasm, the precise mechanism by which it serves as the trigger of coronary spasm remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in autonomic nervous activity associated with ischemic episodes in patients with variant angina (VA). Heart rate variability (HRV) on Holter monitoring was analyzed during 17 ischemic episodes in 11 patients with VA. The parameters of HRV were measured during a 2-min period at various time intervals prior to the onset of ST-segment elevation. The low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) components of the HRV, LF/HF ratio, mean RR interval, and the coefficient of the RR interval variation (CV) were calculated for each time interval. Both the HF and the CV increased significantly in the 2 min prior to the onset of ST-segment elevation, suggesting heightened vagal activity. The LF/HF ratio, a measure of cardiac sympatho-vagal balance, did not change. The LF, a measure of sympathetic activity with vagal modulation, also did not change. The RR interval decreased significantly in the 2 min prior to the onset of ST-segment elevation. These results suggest that enhancement of both the vagal and the sympathetic nervous activity plays an important role in the initiation of coronary spasm.

Adult↗

Reflex heart rate and blood pressure changes during ST segment elevation in patients with variant angina.

Responses of heart rate and blood pressure to transient myocardial ischemia were analyzed in patients with variant angina. Heart rate changes during ST segment elevation were examined by means of a Holter ECG monitoring system. All 27 ST segment elevations from 10 patients with anterior ischemia were accompanied by an increase in heart rate by 12 +/- 2 bpm (mean +/- SEM, p less than 0.001) at peak ST segment elevation. With inferior ischemia in nine patients, heart rate decreased significantly by 4 +/- 1 bpm (n = 28, p less than 0.001). However, 9 of these 28 ST segment elevations showed a biphasic response of heart rate, that is, an initial increase and subsequent decrease. Such heart rate changes were not different between ST segment elevations with and without chest pain. With chest pain systolic blood pressure rose in anterior ischemia by 42 +/- 5 mm Hg (n = 10, p less than 0.001) but fell in inferior ischemia by 22 +/- 8 mm Hg (n = 7, p less than 0.05). We conclude that a different cardiovascular reflex occurs in response to inferior versus anterior ischemia and it is independent of chest pain.

Aged↗

Alternans of the ST segment in Prinzmetal's angina.

Alternans of the elevated ST segment (STEA) was found in 8 of 21 patients (38%) with Prinzmetal's variant angina. In addition to STEA, all eight patients had varying cardiac arrhythmias: multiple premature ventricular depolarizations in eight, ventricular tachycardia in five, and ventricular fibrillation in three. There was no consistent temporal relationship between the occurrence of STEA and the cardiac arrhythmias. Alternans occurred during periods when no arrhythmias were present. All eight patients underwent coronary angiography. Spontaneous coronary artery spasm was documented angiographically in three patients including two who had minimal or no coronary atherosclerotic disease. Six patients had severe, fixed, occlusive coronary artery disease. Possible mechanisms for STEA include: 1) failure of regions of myocardium to depolarize on alternate beats due to variation in conduction and refractoriness between ischemic and nonischemic zones of myocardium, and 2) electrical alternans of the transmembrane action potential during phase 2 and 3 (repolarization) caused by changes in the rate and extent of electrolyte transfer across cell membranes during ischemia. It is postulated that STEA is an electrocardiographic sign in the surface ECG of a dysequilibrium of refractory periods during ischemia and reflects an unstable electrical state of the myocardium.

Adult↗