Vascular elastic properties in vivo (dynamic incremental elastic modulus [Ep(dyn)]) of large coronary arteries were assessed from the pressure-diameter relationships of the large coronary arteries in 46 patients with suspected ischemic heart disease. Ep(dyn) represents the vascular stiffness primarily determined by the organic sclerotic changes of the vascular wall and the vascular smooth muscle tone. Coronary arterial diameter was obtained from the magnified cine coronary arteriograms by using a computerized caliber measurement technique. The mean Ep(dyn) of the left main coronary artery and the proximal portions of the left anterior descending and circumflex coronary arteries with apparently normal angiograms were significantly (P less than 0.01) increased as the number of involved coronary vessels was increased. Mean Ep(dyn) values in multi-vessel disease were comparable with those of dilated segment by the percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, indicating that the vascular sclerotic changes are not localized to the narrowed segments but diffusely distributed to the angiographically normal vascular wall. In 4 patients who had successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, Ep(dyn) of the dilated coronary segment showed markedly higher values (0.21-0.30 X 10(6) Nm-2) than the normal values (0.16 +/- 0.06 X 10(6) Nm-2 in left anterior descending coronary artery). In contrast, there was no significant difference in Ep(dyn) values of the angiographically normal left main coronary trunk, proximal portions of left anterior descending and circumflex arteries between patients with and without vasospastic angina. During myocardial ischemia induced by ergonovine maleate, vasospastic response of the non-diseased segment was comparable with that in patients who did not have an anginal attack during the ergonovine test. Thus, in contrast to the sclerotic change, abnormal vasoconstrictive property of the coronary artery may be localized to the diseased segment.