We hypothesised that there would be alterations in markers of endothelial damage/dysfunction, platelet activation and thrombogenesis in patients with peripheral vascular disease (PVD) as a result of undergoing diagnostic angiography and therapeutic angioplasty. To test this hypothesis, we measured sequential changes in von Willebrand factor (vWf, an index of endothelial damage/dysfunction), tissue factor (TF, an index of thrombogenesis) and soluble P-selectin (sP-sel, an index of platelet activation) in 52 consecutive patients (32 male; mean age 69 years, SD 10) who were undergoing elective angiography and angioplasty for PVD. Patients with PVD had significantly higher vWf and sP-sel levels compared to healthy controls (both p < 0.001), but median TF levels were not significantly different (p = 0.344). In the whole group, there was a significant reduction in sP-sel levels (p < 0.001, paired t test) post-angiography/angioplasty, but no significant change in vWf and TF levels. In patients undergoing angiography only, there was a significant drop in mean sP-sel (p < 0.001, paired t test) and vWf (p = 0.044) values after the procedure, whilst TF levels were not significantly changed (p = 0.370, Mann-Whitney U test). In patients undergoing angioplasty and stent, mean sP-sel levels fell immediately after the procedure (p = 0.001, paired t test), but there were no statistically significant changes in vWf and TF-levels. In conclusion, there appears to be a reduction in plasma sP-sel levels following angioplasty and stenting for PVD, suggesting alterations in platelet physiology, which may be accompanied by some alterations in the endothelium. The possibility that these changes may have pathophysiological implications for understanding platelet and endothelial reactions to angiography and associated interventions (that is, angioplasty and stent) needs to be explored.
Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel