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Biomedical and Environmental Sciences :... Feb 2019The objective of this study is to determine whether coronary atherosclerotic plaque composition is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in Chinese adults.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study is to determine whether coronary atherosclerotic plaque composition is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in Chinese adults.
METHODS
We performed a cross-sectional analysis in 549 subjects without previous diagnosis or clinical symptoms of CVD in a community cohort of middle-aged Chinese adults. The participants underwent coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography for the evaluation of the presence and composition of coronary plaques. CVD risk was evaluated by the Framingham risk score (FRS) and the 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk score.
RESULTS
Among the 549 participants, 267 (48.6%) had no coronary plaques, 201 (36.6%) had noncalcified coronary plaques, and 81 (14.8%) had calcified or mixed coronary plaques. The measures of CVD risk including FRS and ASCVD risk score and the likelihood of having elevated FRS significantly increased across the groups of participants without coronary plaques, with noncalcified coronary plaques, and with calcified or mixed coronary plaques. However, only calcified or mixed coronary plaques were significantly associated with an elevated ASCVD risk score [odds ratio (OR) 2.41; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-5.32] compared with no coronary plaques, whereas no significant association was found for noncalcified coronary plaques and elevated ASCVD risk score (OR 1.25; 95% CI 0.71-2.21) after multivariable adjustment.
CONCLUSION
Calcified or mixed coronary plaques might be more associated with an elevated likelihood of having CVD than noncalcified coronary plaques.
Topics: Asian People; Cardiovascular Diseases; Computed Tomography Angiography; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Odds Ratio; Plaque, Atherosclerotic; Risk Factors
PubMed: 30862339
DOI: 10.3967/bes2019.012 -
Medical & Biological Engineering &... Mar 2019Stiffness of the arterial wall and atherosclerotic plaque components is a determinant of the stress field within plaques, which has been suggested to be an indicator of...
Stiffness of the arterial wall and atherosclerotic plaque components is a determinant of the stress field within plaques, which has been suggested to be an indicator of plaque vulnerability. The diversity and inhomogeneous structure of atherosclerotic lesions complicate the characterization of plaque components. In the present study, stiffness of the arterial wall and atherosclerotic plaque components in human coronary arteries was examined in early and developed atherosclerotic lesions. The force-spectroscopy mode of the atomic force microscope and histological examination were used for determination of elastic moduli at specified locations within samples. Fibrous cap (E = 14.1 ± 3.8 kPa) showed lower stiffness than the fibrous tissue beneath the lipid pool (E = 17.6 ± 3.2 kPa). Calcification zones (E = 96.1 ± 18.8 kPa) and lipid pools (E = 2.7 ± 1.8 kPa) were the stiffest and softest components of atherosclerotic lesions, respectively. The increase of media stiffness (%44.8) and reduction of the elastic modulus of the internal elastic lamina (%28.9) was observed in coronary arteries. Moreover, significant differences were observed between the stiffness of medial layer in diseased parts and free-plaque segments in incomplete plaques of coronary arteries. Our results can be used for better understanding of remodeling mechanisms of the arterial wall with plaque development. Graphical abstract Stiffness alteration of the arterial wall and atherosclerotic plaque components with plaque development in coronary arteries.
Topics: Calcinosis; Coronary Vessels; Elastic Modulus; Humans; Male; Microscopy, Atomic Force; Plaque, Atherosclerotic
PubMed: 30374700
DOI: 10.1007/s11517-018-1910-4 -
Journal of Biomechanics Mar 2014
Topics: Animals; Atherosclerosis; Biomechanical Phenomena; Humans; Plaque, Atherosclerotic
PubMed: 24593957
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2014.01.031 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Jun 2021With the aging population, coronary syndrome is one of the leading causes of mortality. Atherosclerosis is the pathophysiological basis of coronary syndrome, which is...
With the aging population, coronary syndrome is one of the leading causes of mortality. Atherosclerosis is the pathophysiological basis of coronary syndrome, which is caused by plaque rupture and predisposed or aggravated by many perioperative complications. Parecoxib is one of the most widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory perioperative drugs. This study aims to evaluate the potential benefits of parecoxib on atherosclerosis progression. Apolipoprotein E-deficient (Apo E-/-) mice were intraperitoneally injected by parecoxib (par group) or saline (control group) and, meanwhile, were given a western diet for 12 weeks. The aorta and aortic root were examined by oil red O (ORO) staining for atherosclerotic lesions. The expression level of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), was investigated using immunofluorescence and western blot. Macrophage inflammation was investigated by Q-PCR. Parecoxib treatment increased the number of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and amount of collagen, while and decreased the number of macrophages in murine aortic walls. The expression of MMP1, 2, 9, and 13 as well as IL- 1β and IL-6 were also decreased in the par group. However, there was no statistical difference in lipid infiltration between the two groups. Parecoxib could improve plaque stability by suppressing inflammation and inhibiting MMPs production.
Topics: Animals; Cells, Cultured; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; Inflammation Mediators; Isoxazoles; Male; Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors; Matrix Metalloproteinases; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Plaque, Atherosclerotic
PubMed: 33740522
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111423 -
Journal of Atherosclerosis and... May 2021
Topics: Aorta, Thoracic; Aortic Aneurysm; Biomarkers; Computed Tomography Angiography; Correlation of Data; Cystatin C; Humans; Plaque, Atherosclerotic; Preoperative Care; Reproducibility of Results
PubMed: 32908036
DOI: 10.5551/jat.ED140 -
AJR. American Journal of Roentgenology Mar 2015OBJECTIVE. In this article, we review the histopathologic classification of coronary atherosclerotic plaques and describe the possibilities and limitations of CT... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE. In this article, we review the histopathologic classification of coronary atherosclerotic plaques and describe the possibilities and limitations of CT regarding the evaluation of coronary artery plaques. CONCLUSION. The composition of atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary arteries displays substantial variability and is associated with the likelihood for rupture and downstream ischemic events. Accurate identification and quantification of coronary plaque components on CT is challenging because of the limited temporal, spatial, and contrast resolutions of current scanners. Nonetheless, CT may provide valuable information that has potential for characterization of coronary plaques. For example, the extent of calcification can be determined, lipid-rich lesions can be separated from more fibrous ones, and positive remodeling can be identified.
Topics: Acute Coronary Syndrome; Coronary Artery Disease; Humans; Plaque, Atherosclerotic; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 25714309
DOI: 10.2214/AJR.14.13760 -
Small (Weinheim An Der Bergstrasse,... Feb 2022The surgical removal of lesions is among the most common and effective treatments for atherosclerosis. It is often the only curative treatment option, and the ability to...
The surgical removal of lesions is among the most common and effective treatments for atherosclerosis. It is often the only curative treatment option, and the ability to visualize the full extent of atherosclerotic plaque during the operation has major implications for the therapeutic outcome. Fluorescence imaging is a promising approach for the inspection of atherosclerotic plaques during surgery. However, there is no systematic strategy for intraoperative fluorescent imaging in atherosclerosis. In this study, the in situ attachment of a lipid-activatable fluorescent probe (CN-N2)-soaked patch to the outer arterial surface is reported for rapid and precise localization of the atherosclerotic plaque in ApoE-deficient mouse during surgery. Stable imaging of the plaque is conducted within 5 min via rapid recognition of abnormally accumulated lipid droplets (LDs) in foam cells. Furthermore, the plaque/normal ratio (P/N) is significantly enhanced to facilitate surgical delineation of carotid atherosclerotic plaques. Visible fluorescence bioimaging using lipid-activatable probes can accurately delineate plaque sizes down to diameters of <0.5 mm, and the images can be swiftly captured within the stable plaque imaging time window. These findings on intraoperative fluorescent imaging of plaques via the in situ attachment of the CN-N2 patch hold promise for effective clinical applications.
Topics: Animals; Atherosclerosis; Carotid Arteries; Fluorescent Dyes; Mice; Optical Imaging; Plaque, Atherosclerotic
PubMed: 34837454
DOI: 10.1002/smll.202104471 -
Current Atherosclerosis Reports Jun 2012
Review
Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Atherosclerosis; Cytokines; Humans; Plaque, Atherosclerotic; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 22467245
DOI: 10.1007/s11883-012-0246-z -
Nature Reviews. Cardiology Jul 2014Most acute coronary syndromes are caused by sudden luminal thrombosis due to atherosclerotic plaque rupture or erosion. Preventing such an event seems to be the only... (Review)
Review
Most acute coronary syndromes are caused by sudden luminal thrombosis due to atherosclerotic plaque rupture or erosion. Preventing such an event seems to be the only effective strategy to reduce mortality and morbidity of coronary heart disease. Coronary lesions prone to rupture have a distinct morphology compared with stable plaques, and provide a unique opportunity for noninvasive imaging to identify vulnerable plaques before they lead to clinical events. The submillimeter spatial resolution and excellent image quality of modern computed tomography (CT) scanners allow coronary atherosclerotic lesions to be detected, characterized, and quantified. Large plaque volume, low CT attenuation, napkin-ring sign, positive remodelling, and spotty calcification are all associated with a high risk of acute cardiovascular events in patients. Computation fluid dynamics allow the calculation of lesion-specific endothelial shear stress and fractional flow reserve, which add functional information to plaque assessment using CT. The combination of morphologic and functional characteristics of coronary plaques might enable noninvasive detection of vulnerable plaques in the future.
Topics: Acute Coronary Syndrome; Coronary Angiography; Coronary Artery Disease; Humans; Plaque, Atherosclerotic; Risk Assessment; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 24755916
DOI: 10.1038/nrcardio.2014.60 -
International Heart Journal 2020
Topics: Humans; Plaque, Atherosclerotic
PubMed: 33250484
DOI: 10.1536/ihj.20-674