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Relationships between inflammatory mediators and coronary plaque composition in patients with stable angina investigated by ultrasound radiofrequency data analysis

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Abstract

Inflammation has been recognized as a critical process in the progression of coronary atherosclerosis. Virtual Histology-intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) has been reported to be a useful tool for tissue characterization of coronary atherosclerotic plaque. We investigated relationships between plaque composition and inflammation-related factors possibly contributing to atheromatous plaque formation and progression, since these are largely unknown. Using VH-IVUS, we measured plaque volume and composition at the culprit lesions in patients with stable angina undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (n = 33, 39 de novo lesions), and then analyzed correlations between plaque components and serum levels of inflammatory factors in both aorta and culprit coronary artery obtained by aspiration using a distal protection device. Linear regression analysis revealed that both aortic and coronary LDL cholesterol levels correlated with %plaque burden along the culprit lesions (r = 0.535 and 0.539, respectively), but with none of the plaque components. Of %plaque components, fibro-fatty (FF) correlated positively with both aortic and coronary T cell/B cell ratios (r = 0.335 and 0.359, respectively) whereas necrotic core (NC) correlated negatively with both aortic and coronary T cell/B cell ratios (r = −0.373 and −0.483, respectively). These results suggest that LDL cholesterol may be a good marker for total coronary plaque volume whereas the lymphocyte subset of T cell/B cell ratios may be a good marker for plaque composition, especially FF and NC components volume.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are very grateful to the co-medical staffs in the Departments of Clinical Laboratory, and Radiology, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center for their expert technical assistance. We have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology and Clinical Research Institute, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, 1-8-1 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, 810-8563, Japan

    Shinji Satoh, Etsuo Mori, Katsuhiko Takenaka, Takahiro Mori, Hiroko Inoue, Kotaro Numaguchi & Koji Hiyamuta

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  1. Shinji Satoh
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  2. Etsuo Mori
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  3. Katsuhiko Takenaka
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Correspondence to Shinji Satoh.

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Satoh, S., Mori, E., Takenaka, K. et al. Relationships between inflammatory mediators and coronary plaque composition in patients with stable angina investigated by ultrasound radiofrequency data analysis. Cardiovasc Interv and Ther 26, 193–201 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12928-011-0058-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12928-011-0058-z

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