ELEVATED BASIC FIBROBLAST GROWTH-FACTOR IN PERICARDIAL FLUID OF PATIENTS WITH UNSTABLE ANGINA

Background Collateral growth is induced by chemical signals from the i schemic myocardium. We hypothesized that angiogenic growth factors are produced by cardiac tissue; they are diffusible, more concentrated in pericardial fluids, and are increased by myocardial ischemia. Methods and Results With the use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we measured the concentrations of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) a nd vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in pericardial fluids of 12 patients with unstable angina (group 1) and of 8 patients with noni schemic heart diseases (group 2). The levels of protein in pericardial fluids were quite comparable between the two groups (34+/-2 versus 32 +/-4 mg/mL). The concentration of bFGF in pericardial fluids in group 1 was 2036+/-357 pg/mL, significantly (P <.001) higher than the 289+/- 72 pg/mL in group 2. The amount of bFGF per milligram of protein was a lso significantly (P <.05) higher in group 1 than in group 2 (67+/-15 versus 12+/-4 pg/mg). The concentration of VEGF in pericardial fluids tended to be higher in group 1, but the difference was statistically i nsignificant (39+/-7 versus 22+/-6 pg/mL). The amount of VEGF per mill igram of protein was 1.2+/-0.3 pg/mg in group 1, similar to the 0.8+/- 0.4 pg/mg in group 2. Conclusions This finding provides new evidence t hat bFGF plays an important role in mediating collateral growth in hum ans.