fibrous cap thickness

BACKGROUND: As a novel lipoprotein ratio, baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (LHR) is closely related to the clinical outcomes of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention. However, the pathophysiological impact of achieved LHR (aLHR) on the evolution of non-culprit lipid-rich plaques has not been systematically explored. METHODS: Between September 2013 and December 2018, ACS patients with both baseline and 1-year follow-up optical coherence tomography (OCT) examinations were included in current study...

BACKGROUND: To assess the reproducibility of coronary tissue characterization by an Artificial Intelligence Optical Coherence Tomography software (OctPlus, Shanghai Pulse Medical Imaging Technology Inc.). METHODS: 74 patients presenting with multivessel ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the infarct-related artery at the end of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) and during staged PCI (SPCI) within 7 days thereafter in the MATRIX (Minimizing Adverse Hemorrhagic Events by Transradial Access Site and angioX) Treatment-Duration study (ClinicalTrials...

The clinical evidence on the efficacy of lipid lowering therapy in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) is unequivocally established. However, the effects of these therapies on plaque composition and stability are less clear. The use of intracoronary imaging (ICI) technologies has emerged as a complement to conventional angiography to further characterize plaque morphology and detect high-risk plaque features related to cardiovascular events. Along with clinical outcomes studies, parallel imaging trials employing serial evaluations with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) have shown that pharmacological treatment has the capacity to either slow disease progression or promote plaque regression, depending on the degree of lipid lowering achieved...

NADPH oxidases 2 (NOX2) is the main source of ROS in macrophages, which plays a critical role in the formation of atherosclerosis. However, effects of NOX2 inhibition on established vulnerable plaques and the potential role involved remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the latent mechanism of NOX2-triggered vulnerable plaque development. We generated a vulnerable carotid plaque model induced by carotid branch ligation and renal artery constriction, combined with a high-fat diet in ApoE-/- mice...

Deposits of contaminated wood fiber waste (fiberbanks), originating from sawmills and pulp and paper industries, have been found in the aquatic environment in boreal countries. In-situ isolation capping has been proposed as a remediation solution because it has the potential to prevent dispersal of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from this type of sediment. However, knowledge about the performance of such caps when placed on very soft (unconsolidated), gaseous organic rich sediment is scarce. We investigated the effectiveness of conventional in-situ capping to limit POPs fluxes to the water column from contaminated fibrous sediments that produce gas...

OBJECTIVE: The atherosclerotic plaque is a complex dynamic pathological lesion of the arterial wall, characterized by multiple elementary lesions of different diagnostic and prognostic significance. Fibrous cap thickness, lipid necrotic core dimension, inflammation, intra-plaque hemorrhage (IPH), plaque neovascularization and endothelial dysfunction (erosions) are generally considered the most relevant morphological details of plaque morphology. In this review, the most relevant features able to discriminate between stable and vulnerable plaques at histological level are discussed...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The prevalence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients with cancer history is increasing and it is associated with higher mortality. However, there is limited evidence on the characteristics of coronary plaque in ACS patients with cancer history. This study explored the pancoronary plaque characteristics in ACS patients with cancer history by optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS: A total of 306 ACS patients treated by 3-vessel OCT at the time of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were included, retrospectively...

After percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), patients remain at high risk of developing recurrent cardiovascular events. Despite advances in interventional cardiology, the correct management of residual low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) risk continues to be crucial for improving long-term outcomes after PCI. However, several observational studies have demonstrated suboptimal LDL-C control, poor adherence to statin therapy, and underutilization of high-intensity statins, ezetimibe, and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors in real-world clinical practice despite a strong endorsement from international guidelines...

BACKGROUND: Patients with STEMI are postulated to have different culprit lesion morphology compared to NSTEMI. The use of OCT in ACS can help delineate lesion morphology. The aim of this systematic review was to analyze the available data on culprit plaque morphology in ACS patients. METHODS: The available literature was systematically screened for studies on culprit lesion morphology in ACS patients. Data was extracted from the selected studies and analyzed for baseline characteristics as well as culprit lesion morphology on OCT...

BACKGROUND: Sodium-glucose transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2-I) could modulate atherosclerotic plaque progression, via down-regulation of inflammatory burden, and lead to reduction of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). T2DM patients with multivessel non-obstructive coronary stenosis (Mv-NOCS) have over-inflammation and over-lipids' plaque accumulation. This could reduce fibrous cap thickness (FCT), favoring plaque rupture and MACEs...

INTRODUCTION: It has been suggested that infarct-related artery (IRA) atherosclerosis progression after stem cell transcoronary administration might represent a stem-cell mediated adverse effect. AIM: To evaluate, using conventional (quantitative coronary angiography, QCA, intravascular ultrasound - IVUS) and novel (quantitative virtual histology - qVH) tools, evolution of IRA atherosclerosis following transcoronary stem cell transfer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: QCA, IVUS, VH-IVUS and qVH were performed in 22 consecutive patients (4 women) aged 59 years (data provided as median) undergoing a distal-to-stent infusion of 2...

Increased mechanical stresses of the fibroatheroma cap tissue is a crucial risk factor on the pathogenesis of asymptomatic coronary artery disease events. Moreover, both numerical and analytical studies have shown that microcalcifications (μCalcs) located in the fibrous cap can multiply the cap tissue stress by a factor of 2-7. This stress amplification depends on the ratio of the gap between particles (h) and their diameter (D) when they are aligned along the tensile axis. However, the synergistic effect of cap stiffness and uCalcs on the ultimate stress and rupture risk of the atheroma cap has not been fully investigated...

Atherosclerotic disease of the coronary and carotid arteries is the primary global cause of significant mortality and morbidity. The chronic occlusive diseases have changed the epidemiological landscape of health problems both in developed and the developing countries. Despite the enormous benefit of advanced revascularization techniques, use of statins, and successful attempts of targeting modifiable risk factors, like smoking and exercise in the last four decades, there is still a definite "residual risk" in the population, as evidenced by many prevalent and new cases every year...

BACKGROUND: The rupture of atherosclerotic plaque contributes significantly to cardiovascular disease. Plasma concentrations of bilirubin-a byproduct of heme catabolism-inversely associate with risk of cardiovascular disease, although the link between bilirubin and atherosclerosis remains unclear. METHODS: To assess the role of bilirubin in atherosclerotic plaque stability, we crossed Bvra -/- with Apoe -/- mice and used the tandem stenosis model of plaque instability...

Objective :To investigate the predictive value of no reflow phenomenon in interventional therapy by measuring plaque quantitatively with optical coherence tomography (OCT).  Methods:196 patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction who visited the Department of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to January 2022 were selected as the study objects. According to whether there was no reflow during the operation, they were divided into no reflow group (46 cases) and normal flow group (150 cases)...

Stenosis grade of the carotid arteries has been the primary indicator for risk stratification and surgical treatment of carotid artery disease. Certain characteristics of the carotid plaque render it vulnerable and have been associated with increased plaque rupture rates. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) have been shown to detect these characteristics to a different degree. The aim of the current study was to report on the detection of vulnerable carotid plaque characteristics by CTA and MRA and their possible association...

OBJECTIVE: Whether inhibition of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) promotes the regression of coronary atherosclerotic plaque in statin-treated individuals remains unclear. This study examined whether PCSK9 inhibitors combined with statin therapy could increase atherosclerotic plaque regression compared with statin therapy alone. METHODS: PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), the database Clinical trials, and the Web of Science were searched to report the coronary atherosclerotic plaque of PCSK9 inhibitors using intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) or optical coherence tomography (OCT) in statin patients...

BACKGROUND: Adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern can protect against atherosclerosis in part by reducing intestinal permeability and gut microbial LPS production. Brussels chicory, a typical Mediterranean vegetable, has been shown to inhibit the formation of early-stage atherosclerosis in mice. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated whether Brussels chicory affects advanced atherosclerosis progression, intestinal permeability, and gut microbial LPS production. METHODS: Thirty-week-old male apoE-deficient mice with unstable atherosclerotic plaques in the brachiocephalic artery were fed the AIN-93G diet alone (control) or supplemented with 0...

BACKGROUND: In-stent restenosis (ISR) is responsible for a rapid decline of vessel patency after stenting. To date, little is known about the role of in-stent neoatherosclerosis (NA) in stent failure in lower limb arteries. AIMS: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and patterns of in-stent NA in patients with symptomatic ISR of the lower extremity vasculature using intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging. METHODS: Patients underwent endovascular revascularisation for ISR including angiography and OCT imaging...

Atherosclerotic lesions preferentially develop at bifurcations, characterized by non-uniform shear stress (SS). The aim of this study was to investigate SS-induced endothelial activation, focusing on stress-regulated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and downstream signaling, and its relation to gap junction proteins, Connexins (Cxs). Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were exposed to flow ("mechanical stimulation") and stimulated with TNF-α ("inflammatory stimulation"). Phosphorylated levels of MAPKs (c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK1/2), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and p38 kinase (p38K)) were quantified by flow cytometry, showing the activation of JNK1/2 and ERK...