Thrombin Activatable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor (TAFI) Activity In Patients with Isolated Coronary Artery Ectasia İzole Koroner Arter Ektazisi Olan Hastalarda Trombin ile Aktive Olan Fibrinoliz Inhibitör (TAFI) Aktivitesi

Thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) forms the molecular link between the coagulation and the fibrinolytic systems with a strong anti-fibrinolytic activity. Isolated coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a clinical entity characterized by localized or diffuse dilatation greater than 1.5 times diameter of adjacent segments, of coronary arteries, without concomitant stenosis. Previous studies demonstrated increased frequency of acute coronary events in patients with isolated CAE compared to patients with normal coronary arteries (NCA). The goal of the present study was to investigate whether TAFI activity is increased in patients with isolated CAE compared to normal subjects. Thirty patients with isolated CAE, 30 age- and gender-matched control participants with NCA, were included in the study. There was no difference in TAFI activity between CAE and NCA groups (130±42% vs. 124±35%, p=NS). The findings of the current study indicate that TAFI activity is not associated with CAE. To our knowledge, this is the first report investigating the relation of CAE with TAFI activity. We believe that further studies are required to define the precise role of TAFI in patients with isolated CAE.