MICROCIRCULATORY ALTERATIONS IN STABLE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE PATIENTS WITH CONCOMITANT COVID-19

Abstract

The aim: To evaluate the alterations in microcirculation of stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) patients with concomitant COVID-19. Materials and methods: The cross-sectional study analyzed the data from 80 patients, being subdivided as follows: group 1 (G1) – SCAD without COVID-19 (n=30); group 2 (G2) – SCAD with concomitant COVID-19 (n=25); group 3 (G3) – COVID-19 without SCAD (n=25). The control group included 30 relatively healthy volunteers. The state of microcirculation was assessed by nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC) and laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF). Results: NVC data from G2 revealed the sings of capillary bed remodeling, along with the most pronounced decrease in capillary (arteriolar part of the loop) blood flow velocity (vs. G1 and G3). LDF data from G2 were evident for the alterations in both endothelium-dependent and -independent mechanisms of microvascular flow regulation. The 72 % of G2 constituted the cases of microcirculatory hemodynamic «congestion-stasis» (MHCS) type (characterized by the decreased laser Doppler perfusion index and reduced endothelium-dependent microvascular reactivity [MVR]), and the cases of mixed type with reduced MVR. The pooled hyporeactive profile (of both MHCS type and a mixed type with reduced MVR) demonstrated the higher frequency of G2 patients (40 %), as against 11 % in the pooled alternative hemodynamic group (p<0,001) (included 80 % of cases with preserved MVR). Conclusions: G2 profile demonstrated the predomination of patients, possessing a MHCS type or a mixed type with reduced MVR. The pooled microcirculatory hyporeactive profile was presented with G2 cases to a greater extent, than in the pooled profile with predominantly preserved MVR.