Carotid artery stenting compared with endarterectomy in patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis (International Carotid Stenting Study): an interim analysis of a randomised controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ederle, Jörg; Dobson, Joanna; Featherstone, Roland L.; Bonati, Leo H.; van der Worp, H. Bart; de Borst, Gert J.; Lo, T. Hauw; Gaines, Peter; Dorman, Paul J.; Macdonald, Sumaira; Lyrer, Philippe A.; Hendriks, Johanna M.; McCollum, Charles; Nederkoorn, Paul J.; Brown, Martin M.; Algra, A.; Bamford, J.; Beard, J.; Bland, M.; Bradbury, A. W.; Brown, M. M.; Clifton, A.; Gaines, P.; Collins, R.; Molyneux, A.; Naylor, R.; Warlow, C.; Ferro, J. M.; Thomas, D.; Bonati, L. H.; Coward, L.; Dobson, J.; Ederle, J.; Featherstone, R. F.; Tindall, H.; McCabe, D. J. H.; Wallis, A.; Brooks, M.; Chambers, B.; Chan, A.; Chu, P.; Clark, D.; Dewey, H.; Donnan, G.; Fell, G.; Hoare, M.; Molan, M.; Roberts, A.; Roberts, N.; Beiles, B.; Bladin, C.; Clifford, C.; Grigg, M.; New, G.; Bell, R.; Bower, S.; Chong, W.; Holt, M.; Saunder, A.; Than, P. G.; Gett, S.; Leggett, D.; McGahan, T.; Quinn, J.; Ray, M.; Wong, A.; Woodruff, P.; Foreman, R.; Schultz, D.; Scroop, R.; Stanley, B.; Allard, B.; Atkinson, N.; Cambell, W.; Davies, S.; Field, P.; Milne, P.; Mitchell, P.; Tress, B.; Yan, B.; Beasley, A.; Dunbabin, D.; Stary, D.; Walker, S.; Cras, P.; d'Archambeau, O.; Hendriks, J. M. H.; van Schil, P.; St Blasius, A. Z.; Bosiers, M.; Deloose, K.; van Buggenhout, E.; de Letter, J.; Devos, V.; Ghekiere, J.; Vanhooren, G.; Astarci, P.; Hammer, F.; Lacroix, V.; Peeters, A.; Verbist, J.; Blair, J.-F.; Caron, J. L.; Daneault, N.; Giroux, M.-F.; Guilbert, F.; Lanthier, S.; Lebrun, L.-H.; Oliva, V.; Raymond, J.; Roy, D.; Soulez, G.; Weill, A.; Hill, M.; Hu, W.; Hudion, M.; Morrish, W.; Sutherland, G.; Wong, J.; Albäck, A.; Harno, H.; Ijäs, P.; Kaste, M.; Lepäntalo, M.; Mustanoja, S.; Paananen, T.; Porras, M.; Putaala, J.; Railo, M.; Sairanen, T.; Soinne, L.; Vehmas, A.; Vikatmaa, P.; Goertler, M.; Halloul, Z.; Skalej, M.; Brennan, P.; Kelly, C.; Leahy, A.; Moroney, J.; Thornton, J.; Koelemay, M. J. W.; Reekers, J. A. A.; Roos, Y. B. W. E. M.; Hendriks, J. M.; Koudstaal, P. J.; Pattynama, P. M. T.; van der Lugt, A.; van Dijk, L. C.; van Sambeek, M. R. H. M.; van Urk, H.; Verhagen, H. J. M.; Bruijninckx, C. M. A.; de Bruijn, S. F.; Keunen, R.; Knippenberg, B.; Mosch, A.; Treurniet, F.; van Dijk, L.; van Overhagen, H.; Wever, J.; de Beer, F. C.; van den Berg, J. S. P.; van Hasselt, B. A. A. M.; Zeilstra, D. J.; Boiten, J.; van Otterloo, J. C. A. de Mol; de Vries, A. C.; Lycklama a Nijeholt, G. J.; van der Kallen, B. F. W.; Blankensteijn, J. D.; de Leeuw, F. E.; Kool, L. J. Schultze; van der Vliet, J. A.; de Borst, G. J.; de Kort, G. A. P.; Kapelle, L. J.; Lo, T. H.; Mali, W. P. Th M.; Moll, F.; van der Worp, H. B.; Verhagen, H.; Barber, P. A.; Bourchier, R.; Hill, A.; Holden, A.; Stewart, J.; Bakke, S. J.; Krohg-Sørensen, K.; Skjelland, M.; Tennøe, B.; Bialek, P.; Biejat, Z.; Czepiel, W.; Czlonkowska, A.; Dowzenko, A.; Jedrzejewska, J.; Kobayashi, A.; Lelek, M.; Polanski, J.; Kirbis, J.; Milosevic, Z.; Zvan, B.; Blasco, J.; Chamorro, A.; Macho, J.; Obach, V.; Riambau, V.; San Roman, L.; Branera, J.; Canovas, D.; Estela, Jordi; Gaibar, A. Gimenez; Perendreu, J.; Björses, K.; Gottsater, A.; Ivancev, K.; Maetzsch, T.; Sonesson, B.; Berg, B.; Delle, M.; Formgren, J.; Gillgren, P.; Kall, T.-B.; Konrad, P.; Nyman, N.; Takolander, R.; Andersson, T.; Malmstedt, J.; Soderman, M.; Wahlgren, C.; Wahlgren, N.; Binaghi, S.; Hirt, L.; Michel, P.; Ruchat, P.; Engelter, S. T.; Fluri, F.; Guerke, L.; Jacob, A. L.; Kirsch, E.; Lyrer, P. A.; Radue, E.-W.; Stierli, P.; Wasner, M.; Wetzel, S.; Bonvin, C.; Kalangos, A.; Lovblad, K.; Murith, M.; Ruefenacht, D.; Sztajzel, R.; Higgins, N.; Kirkpatrick, P. J.; Martin, P.; Varty, K.; Adam, D.; Bell, J.; Crowe, P.; Gannon, M.; Henderson, M. J.; Sandler, D.; Shinton, R. A.; Scriven, J. M.; Wilmink, T.; D'Souza, S.; Egun, A.; Guta, R.; Punekar, S.; Seriki, D. M.; Thomson, G.; Brennan, J. A.; Enevoldson, T. P.; Gilling-Smith, G.; Gould, D. A.; Harris, P. L.; McWilliams, R. G.; Nasser, H.-C.; White, R.; Prakash, K. G.; Serracino-Inglott, F.; Subramanian, G.; Symth, J. V.; Walker, M. G.; Clarke, M.; Davis, M.; Dixit, S. A.; Dorman, P.; Dyker, A.; Ford, G.; Golkar, A.; Jackson, R.; Jayakrishnan, V.; Lambert, D.; Lees, T.; Louw, S.; Macdonald, S.; Mendelow, A. D.; Rodgers, H.; Rose, J.; Stansby, G.; Wyatt, M.; Baker, T.; Baldwin, N.; Jones, L.; Mitchell, D.; Munro, E.; Thornton, M.; Baker, D.; Davis, N.; Hamilton, G.; McCabe, D.; Platts, A.; Tibballs, J.; Cleveland, T.; Dodd, D.; Lonsdale, R.; Nair, R.; Nassef, A.; Nawaz, S.; Venables, G.; Belli, A.; Cloud, G.; Halliday, A.; Markus, H.; McFarland, R.; Morgan, R.; Pereira, A.; Thompson, A.; Chataway, J.; Cheshire, N.; Gibbs, R.; Hammady, M.; Jenkins, M.; Malik, I.; Wolfe, J.; Adiseshiah, M.; Bishop, C.; Brew, S.; Brookes, J.; Jäger, R.; Kitchen, N.; Ashleigh, R.; Butterfield, S.; Gamble, G. E.; McCollum, C.; Nasim, A.; O'Neill, P.; Edwards, R. D.; Lees, K. R.; MacKay, A. J.; Moss, J.

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: Stents are an alternative treatment to carotid endarterectomy for symptomatic carotid stenosis, but previous trials have not established equivalent safety and efficacy. We compared the safety of carotid artery stenting with that of carotid endarterectomy. METHODS: The International

Exclusion of Atherosclerotic Plaque from the Circulation Using Stent-Grafts: Alternative to Carotid Stenting with a Protection Device?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peynircioglu, Bora; Geyik, Serdar; Yavuz, Kivilcim; Cil, Barbaros E.; Saatci, Isil; Cekirge, Saruhan

2007-01-01

Purpose. To retrospectively assess the feasibility, safety, and clinical mid-term outcome of patients undergoing carotid artery stenting with stent-grafts. Methods. Over a 4 year period stent-grafts were used in the endovascular treatment of symptomatic internal carotid artery stenosis in 12 patients (2 women, 10 men, aged 47-83 (mean 64) years). Protection devices were not used. Possible microembolic complications were evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations of the brain before and the day after the procedure in all patients. Mean follow-up was 22 months (range 1-42 months), by Doppler ultrasonography and conventional angiography as well as clinical examination .Results. The technical success rate was 100%. A total of 13 coronary stent-grafts were used. The mean stenosis rate (in terms of diameter) was 85% and the mean length of stent-grafts used was 20.9 mm. The mean diameter to which the stent-grafts were dilated was 4.66 mm. In-hospital complications occurred in 1 patient who suffered a minor femoral access hematoma that did not require transfusion or surgical decompression. Post-stenting diffusion-weighted MRI revealed several ipsilateral silent microemboli in only 1 case, which was completely asymptomatic. Two patients had a major stroke after 2 years of follow-up. Restenosis was found in 2 patients who underwent successful balloon dilatation followed by placement of a self-expandable bare stent within the stent-grafts. Conclusions. Stent-grafts may prevent microembolic complications during stenting of atherosclerotic carotid lesions in selected cases, offering immediate exclusion of the atherosclerotic lesion from the circulation by pressing the plaque against the vessel wall. Comparative, randomized studies in larger series of patients are needed with carotid-dedicated stent-graft designs

THREE-DIMENSIONAL ULTRASOUND AND STENOSIS OF INTERNAL CAROTID ARTERY

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Vojko Flis

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Background. Elucidation of the ultrasound structure of the atherosclerotic plaque in stenosis of internal carotid artery may have important implications for carotid surgery. This study compares the ability of computer derived 3D ultrasound gray scale volumetric measurements to diferentiate between ultrasonic structure of symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid plaque causing more than 70% stenosis.Methods. Eightysix internal carotid artery stenoses (70–99%, 45 symptomatic, 41 asymptomatic were imaged with 3D ultrasound to obtain the whole volume of the atherosclerotic plaque. Digitalized sonograms were computerized and normalized to the gray scale median (GSM of blood (0 and vessel adventitia (200. Plaque GSM was obtained for the whole volume by computing the volume ratio between echolucent and echogenic areas. The plaque heterogeneity was obtained by computing the density of echogenic areas per volume unit. Parametric t test was used for statistic analysis.Results. Minimum volume GSM ratio (determining echolucency was higher for asymptomatic plaque (0.6 – CI 0.48– 0.91 versus 0.3 – CI 0.21–0.75: p = 0.002. Greater GSM heterogeneity was present in symptomatic plaque (6.8 – CI 2.5– 18.3 versus 0.41 – CI 0.2–3.4;.p = 0.0001.Conclusions. Volume ultrasound imaging that enables objective assessment of whole ultrasonic plaque structure is more sensitive that single longitudinal view sonography for differentiating between ultrasonic structure of symptomatic and asymptomatic plaque.

Gene expression and 18FDG uptake in atherosclerotic carotid plaques

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Sune Folke; Graebe, Martin; Fisker Hag, Anne Mette

2010-01-01

) and an additional ipsilateral internal carotid artery stenosis of greater than 60% were recruited. FDG uptake in the carotids was determined by PET/computed tomography and expressed as mean and maximal standardized uptake values (SUVmean and SUVmax). The atherosclerotic plaques were subsequently recovered...... by carotid endarterectomy. The gene expression of markers of vulnerability - CD68, IL-18, matrix metalloproteinase 9, cathepsin K, GLUT-1, and hexokinase type II (HK2) - were measured in plaques by quantitative PCR. RESULTS: In a multivariate linear regression model, GLUT-1, CD68, cathepsin K, and HK2 gene...... expression remained in the final model as predictive variables of FDG accumulation calculated as SUVmean (R=0.26, PK, and HK2 gene expression as independent predictive variables of FDG accumulation calculated...

The relationship between serum paraoxonase levels and carotid atherosclerotic plaque formation in Alzheimer's patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Arslan, Ayşe; Tüzün, Fatma Aykan; Arslan, Harun; Demir, Halit; Tamer, Sibel; Demir, Canan; Tasin, Muhterem

Low paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity and carotid atherosclerosis have been suggested to be important risk factors for dementia. However, the studies to date could not fully clarify the relationship between PON1, carotid atherosclerosis and dementia. The present study aimed to measure carotid atherosclerosis and PON1 activity in Alzheimer's Disease and to evaluate the relationship between them. The study included 25 Alzheimer's patients and 25 control subjects, for a total of 50 individuals. The study measured the serum PON1 activity and other biochemical parameters and carotid atherosclerotic plaque values of the participants. The mean paraoxonase activity (31.06±2.31U/L) was significantly lower in the Alzheimer's group compared to the control group (59.05±7.05U/L) (Phomocystein level was higher in the patient group (22.15±7.05) compared to the control group (13.30±3.32). In conclusion, our findings show inverse association between PON1 activity and carotid atherosclerosis in Alzheimer patients: the lower the PON1 activity the more progressed the atherosclerotic process in AD. Copyright © 2016 Polish Neurological Society. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

Tensile and compressive properties of fresh human carotid atherosclerotic plaques.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Maher, Eoghan

2009-12-11

Accurate characterisation of the mechanical properties of human atherosclerotic plaque is important for our understanding of the role of vascular mechanics in the development and treatment of atherosclerosis. The majority of previous studies investigating the mechanical properties of human plaque are based on tests of plaque tissue removed following autopsy. This study aims to characterise the mechanical behaviour of fresh human carotid plaques removed during endarterectomy and tested within 2h. A total of 50 radial compressive and 17 circumferential tensile uniaxial tests were performed on samples taken from 14 carotid plaques. The clinical classification of each plaque, as determined by duplex ultrasound is also reported. Plaques were classified as calcified, mixed or echolucent. Experimental data indicated that plaques were highly inhomogeneous; with variations seen in the mechanical properties of plaque obtained from individual donors and between donors. The mean behaviour of samples for each classification indicated that calcified plaques had the stiffest response, while echolucent plaques were the least stiff. Results also indicated that there may be a difference in behaviour of samples taken from different anatomical locations (common, internal and external carotid), however the large variability indicates that more testing is needed to reach significant conclusions. This work represents a step towards a better understanding of the in vivo mechanical behaviour of human atherosclerotic plaque.

Uniaxial Tensile Properties of Atherosclerotic Carotid Artery After Mobilization of Pushing on Qiao-Gong: A Safety Study Using an Animal Model of Carotid Atherosclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Ji; Zhang, Shaoqun; Zhang, Lei; Ping, Ruiyue; Ping, Kaike; Ye, Da; Shen, Honggui; Chen, Yili; Li, Yikai

2018-02-01

This study aimed to preliminarily explore the effects of the soft tissue mobilization of pushing on Qiao-Gong (MPQ) on biomechanical properties of the carotid artery using an animal model of carotid atherosclerosis (CAS). Fifty rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups: animals with CAS treated with MPQ (CAS-MPQ [n = 15]); animals with CAS treated without MPQ (CAS [n = 15]); normal animals treated with MPQ (normal-MPQ [n = 10]); and a blank control group (n = 10). The MPQ procedure consisted of soft tissue mobilization of the Qiao-Gong acupoint on the front edge of the sternocleidomastoid muscle applied from top to bottom, by flat pushing with the thumb repeatedly for 20 times. Disease in the CAS models was induced by carotid artery balloon injury combined with a high-fat diet for 12 weeks. At the end of modeling, carotid color Doppler ultrasonography examination was performed to confirm which animal models were successfully induced with CAS, excluding model rabbits without typical CAS at the same time. Then, MPQ was applied on rabbits in the CAS-MPQ and the normal-MPQ groups for 3 weeks. By contrast, rabbits in the other 2 groups were fed normally without MPQ. Uniaxial failure tests were later performed on carotid arteries in all 4 groups, and at the end of the study, a 2-way factorial analysis of variance of the results was conducted. (1) At the end of modeling, 10 rabbits in the CAS-MPQ group and 9 in the CAS group were included with typical carotid atherosclerotic characteristics. (2) Young's elastic modulus of the rabbit carotid artery increased more significantly in the CAS-MPQ group than the CAS group. (3) Compared with normal rabbit carotid arteries, atherosclerotic carotid arteries had lower levels of ultimate stress and ultimate strain but higher levels of ultimate load. The uniaxial tensile mechanical properties of the rabbit atherosclerotic carotid artery were impaired after MPQ. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Normalized wall index specific and MRI-based stress analysis of atherosclerotic carotid plaques. A study comparing acutely symptomatic and asymptomatic patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, C.; Teng, Z.; Sadat, U.; Young, V.E.; Graves, M.J.; Gillard, J.H.; Li Zhiyong

2010-01-01

Biomechanical stresses play an important role in determining plaque stability. Quantification of these simulated stresses can be potentially used to assess plaque vulnerability and differentiate different patient groups. 54 asymptomatic and 45 acutely symptomatic patients underwent in vivo multicontrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the carotid arteries. Plaque geometry used for finite element analysis was derived from in vivo MRI at the sites of maximum and minimum plaque burden. In total, 198 slices were used for the computational simulations. A pre-shrink technique was used to refine the simulation. Maximum principle stress at the vulnerable plaque sites (id est (ie), critical stress) was extracted for the selected slices and a comparison was performed between the 2 groups. Critical stress in the slice with maximum plaque burden is significantly higher in acutely symptomatic patients as compared to asymptomatic patients (median, inter quartile range: 198.0 kPa (119.8-359.0 kPa) vs 138.4 kPa (83.8-242.6 kPa), P=0.04). No significant difference was found in the slice with minimum plaque burden between the 2 groups (196.7 kPa (133.3-282.7 kPa) vs 182.4 kPa (117.2-310.6 kPa), P=0.82). Acutely symptomatic carotid plaques have significantly high biomechanical stresses than asymptomatic plaques. This might be potentially useful for establishing a biomechanical risk stratification criteria based on plaque burden in future studies. (author)

Symptomatic intracranial vertebral artery atherosclerotic stenosis (≥70%) with concurrent contralateral vertebral atherosclerotic diseases in 88 patients treated with the intracranial stenting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Zi-Liang [Stroke Center, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou University (China); Gao, Bu-Lang [Department of Medical Research Shijiazhuang First Hospital, Hebei Medical University (China); Li, Tian-Xiao, E-mail: litianxiaod@163.com [Stroke Center, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou University (China); Cai, Dong-Yang; Zhu, Liang-Fu; Bai, Wei-Xing; Xue, Jiang-Yu; Li, Zhao-Shuo [Stroke Center, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou University (China)

2015-09-15

Highlights: • Symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis can be treated with intracranial stenting. • Stenting for intracranial vertebral artery stenosis is safe and effective. • Stenting for intracranial vertebral artery stenosis can prevent long-term stroke. - Abstract: Purpose: To investigate the safety, effect and instent restenosis rate of Wingspan stenting in treating patients with intracranial vertebral artery atherosclerotic stenosis (70–99%) concurrent with contralateral vertebral artery atherosclerotic diseases. Materials and methods: Eighty-eight patients with severe symptomatic intracranial vertebral artery atherosclerotic stenosis (≥70%) combined with contralateral vertebral artery atherosclerotic diseases were treated with the Wingpsan stent. All the baseline, cerebral angiography, success rate, perioperative complications, clinical and imaging follow-up data were prospectively analyzed. Results: The success rate of stenting was 100%, and the mean stenotic rate was reduced from prestenting (84.9 ± 6.8)% to poststenting (17.2 ± 5.9)%. The perioperative stroke rate was 1.1%. Among eighty patients (90.9%) with clinical follow-up 8-62 months (mean 29.3 ± 17.2) poststenting, five (6.3%) had posterior circulation TIA only, three (3.8%) had mild stroke in the posterior circulation but recovered completely, and another five patients greater than 70 years old died of non-ischemic stroke. Imaging follow-up in 46 patients (52.3%) 5–54 months (mean 9.9 ± 9.9) following stenting revealed instent restenosis in 12 patients (26.1%) including 7 (58.3%) symptomatic restenosis. Age and residual stenosis were the two factors to significantly (P < 0.05) affect instent restenosis. Conclusion: Wingspan stenting in the intracranial vertebral artery atherosclerotic stenosis combined with contralateral vertebral artery atherosclerotic diseases has a low perioperative stroke rate and a good preventive effect on long-term ischemic stroke, but the instent restenosis

Long-term outcomes after stenting versus endarterectomy for treatment of symptomatic carotid stenosis: the International Carotid Stenting Study (ICSS) randomised trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bonati, Leo H.; Dobson, Joanna; Featherstone, Roland L.; Ederle, Jörg; van der Worp, H. Bart; de Borst, Gert J.; Mali, Willem P. Th M.; Beard, Jonathan D.; Cleveland, Trevor; Engelter, Stefan T.; Lyrer, Philippe A.; Ford, Gary A.; Dorman, Paul J.; Brown, Martin M.; Bamford, J.; Beard, J.; Bland, M.; Bradbury, A. W.; Brown, M. M.; Hacke, W.; Halliday, A.; Malik, I.; Mas, J. L.; McGuire, A. J.; Sidhu, P.; Venables, G.; Clifton, A.; Gaines, P.; Collins, R.; Molyneux, A.; Naylor, R.; Warlow, C.; Ferro, J. M.; Thomas, D.; Coward, L.; Dobson, J.; Doig, D.; Ederle, J.; Featherstone, R. F.; Kennedy, F.; Tindall, H.; Turner, E.; McCabe, D. J. H.; Wallis, A.; Brooks, M.; Chambers, B.; Koelemay, M. J. W.; Nederkoorn, P. J.; Reekers, J. A. A.; Roos, Y. B. W. E. M.

2015-01-01

Background Stenting is an alternative to endarterectomy for treatment of carotid artery stenosis, but long-term efficacy is uncertain. We report long-term data from the randomised International Carotid Stenting Study comparison of these treatments. Methods Patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis

Long-term outcomes after stenting versus endarterectomy for treatment of symptomatic carotid stenosis: the International Carotid Stenting Study (ICSS) randomised trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bonati, L.H.; Dobson, J.; Featherstone, R.L.; Ederle, J.; Worp, H.B. van der; Borst, G.J. de; Mali, W.P.; Beard, J.D.; Cleveland, T.; Engelter, S.T.; Lyrer, P.A.; Ford, G.A.; Dorman, P.J.; Brown, M.M.; Leeuw, F.E. de; et al.,

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Stenting is an alternative to endarterectomy for treatment of carotid artery stenosis, but long-term efficacy is uncertain. We report long-term data from the randomised International Carotid Stenting Study comparison of these treatments. METHODS: Patients with symptomatic carotid

An ultrasound-based comparative study on carotid plaques in HIV-positive patients vs. atherosclerotic and arteritis patients: atherosclerotic or inflammatory lesions?

Science.gov (United States)

Maggi, Paolo; Perilli, Francesco; Lillo, Antonio; Carito, Valentina; Epifani, Giuseppe; Bellacosa, Chiara; Pastore, Giuseppe; Regina, Guido

2007-02-01

We have previously described two cases of HIV-1-positive patients undergoing surgery for stenosis of the internal carotid arteries. Histology revealed an extensive inflammatory infiltration of the vascular wall and no evidence of atheromasic plaque. This unexpected pattern of carotid damage prompted us to perform a more accurate investigation of the characteristics of carotid plaques in a group of HIV-positive patients. The results were compared with those obtained from young patients affected by atherosclerosis of the epi-aortic vessels and patients with arteritis. The patients underwent ultrasonography of the epi-aortic vessels using one of the latest generation power color-Doppler with 7.5 MHz probes. The study population included 61 HIV-positive patients and 47 HIV-negative patients (37 atherosclerotic and 10 with arteritis). Compared with HIV-negative atherosclerotic patients, there were significantly higher proportions of HIV-positive patients with iso-hypoechogenic lesions (81.8 vs. 29%) that were homogeneous both in their parietal and endoluminal portions (96.7 vs. 21.6% and 88.5 vs. 54.0%, respectively), with a smooth or slightly irregular surface (99.0 vs. 56.7%) (P=0.001 for all differences). No statistically significant differences were seen between HIV-positive and arteritis patients. Our study evidenced that the ultrasonographic structure of the epi-aortic lesions in HIV-positive patients substantially differ from those of the plaques in atherosclerotic patients, although they share similar characteristics with patients affected by arteritis. Further investigations are warranted to better define the structure and the mechanism of onset of these lesions.

Intra-plaque production of platelet-activating factor correlates with neoangiogenesis in human carotid atherosclerotic lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Lupia, Enrico; Pucci, Angela; Peasso, Paolo; Merlo, Maurizio; Baron, Paolo; Zanini, Cristina; Del Sorbo, Lorenzo; Rizea-Savu, Simona; Silvestro, Luigi; Forni, Marco; Emanuelli, Giorgio; Camussi, Giovanni; Montrucchio, Giuseppe

2003-09-01

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a phospholipid mediator synthesized by activated inflammatory and endothelial cells. Recently PAF has been shown to contribute to neoangiogenesis in several experimental models. Here we evaluated the presence of PAF and its potential role in neovascularization within human atherosclerotic plaques. The amount of PAF extracted from 18 carotid plaques (266.65+/-40.07 pg/100 mg dry tissue; mean +/- SE) was significantly higher than that extracted from 18 normal arterial specimens (6 from carotid artery and 12 from aorta) (4.72+/-2.31 pg/100 mg dry tissue; mean +/- SE). The levels of PAF significantly correlated with the infiltration of CD68-positive monocytes and the extent of neovascularization, detected as von Willebrand Factor-positive cells. The amount of PAF also correlated with the area occupied by TNF-alpha-expressing cells. The absence of enhanced level of PAF in the circulation of atherosclerotic patients suggests a local production of this mediator within the plaque. The lipid extracts of atherosclerotic plaques containing high levels of PAF-bioactivity, but not those of control arteries, were angiogenic in a murine Matrigel model. WEB 2170, a specific PAF receptor antagonist, significantly prevented angiogenesis induced by the lipid extracts of atherosclerotic plaques. Our results indicate a local production of PAF within the atherosclerotic plaques and suggest that it may contribute to intra-plaque neoangiogenesis.

Plaque Characteristics of Patients with Symptomatic Mild Carotid Artery Stenosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Takai, Hiroki; Uemura, Juniti; Yagita, Yoshiki; Ogawa, Yukari; Kinoshita, Keita; Hirai, Satoshi; Ishihara, Manabu; Hara, Keijirou; Toi, Hiroyuki; Matsubara, Shunji; Nishimura, Hirotake; Uno, Masaaki

2018-03-20

Carotid revascularization may be considered for severe stenosis, but its use for symptomatic mild stenosis (<50%) with vulnerable plaque or ulcer remains uncertain. The characteristics of patients with symptomatic mild stenosis who underwent revascularization are reviewed. The subjects of this study were 18 patients with symptomatic mild stenosis (<50%) on angiography from among 175 patients who underwent revascularization in our department. The plaques were evaluated by black-blood magnetic resonance imaging (BB-MRI) and ultrasonography (US) and classified into 2 types: type 1 (n = 15), a lesion with an ulcer or mobile plaque or thrombosis on angiography or US; and type 2 (n = 3), a lesion without any of the above. Fourteen patients underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA), and 4 patients underwent carotid artery stenting. The stenosis on angiography was 27.2% ± 10.7 (5%-41%), and the area carotid artery stenosis rate on US was 69.8 ± 14.5% (44.5%-97%). The stenosis rate of these 2 methods was not at all correlated. In type 1 plaque that underwent CEA, 10 of 11 patients had vulnerable plaque by histopathology, and 1 patient had thrombus on the plaque by operative findings. In type 2 plaque that underwent CEA, all patients had vulnerable plaque by histopathology. During the follow-up period, none of the patients had restenosis or stroke. The findings of US and BB-MRI in patients with symptomatic mild stenosis (<50%) on angiography are important for determining treatment. If BB-MRI or US shows the findings of vulnerable plaque in mild stenosis, surgical treatment may be considered for these patients. Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Increased platelet activation in early symptomatic versus asymptomatic carotid stenosis and relationship with microembolic status: Results from the Platelets And Carotid Stenosis (PACS) Study.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Kinsella, Ja

2013-04-26

BACKGROUND: Cerebral microembolic signals (MES) may predict increased stroke risk in carotid stenosis. However, the relationship between platelet counts or platelet activation status and MES in symptomatic versus asymptomatic carotid stenosis has not been comprehensively assessed. SETTING: University teaching hospitals. METHODS: This prospective, pilot observational study assessed platelet counts and platelet activation status, and the relationship between platelet activation and MES in asymptomatic versus early (≤4 weeks after TIA\\/stroke) and late phase (≥3 months) symptomatic moderate or severe (≥50%) carotid stenosis patients. Full blood count measurements were performed, and whole blood flow cytometry was used to quantify platelet surface activation marker expression (CD62P and CD63) and circulating leucocyte-platelet complexes. Bilateral simultaneous transcranial Doppler ultrasound monitoring of the middle cerebral arteries was performed for 1 hour to classify patients as MES-positive or MES-negative. RESULTS: Data from 31 asymptomatic patients were compared with 46 symptomatic patients in the early phase, and 35 of these patients followed up to the late phase after symptom onset. The median platelet count (211 vs. 200 x 10(9) \\/L; p=0.03) and the median% lymphocyte-platelet complexes were higher in early symptomatic than asymptomatic patients (2.8 vs. 2.4%, p=0.001). The% lymphocyte-platelet complexes was higher in early symptomatic than asymptomatic patients with ≥70% carotid stenosis (p=0.0005), and in symptomatic patients recruited within 7 days of symptom onset (p=0.028). Complete TCD data were available in 25 asymptomatic and 31 early phase symptomatic, and 27 late phase symptomatic patients. 12% of asymptomatic versus 32% of early phase symptomatic (p=0.02) and 19% of late phase symptomatic patients (p=0.2) were MES-positive. Early symptomatic MES-negative patients had a higher% lymphocyte-platelet complexes than asymptomatic MES

Characteristics of carotid atherosclerotic plaques of chronic lipid apheresis patients as assessed by In Vivo High-Resolution CMR - a comparative analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grimm Jochen M

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Components of carotid atherosclerotic plaques can reliably be identified and quantified using high resolution in vivo 3-Tesla CMR. It is suspected that lipid apheresis therapy in addition to lowering serum lipid levels also has an influence on development and progression of atherosclerotic plaques. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of chronic lipid apheresis (LA on the composition of atherosclerotic carotid plaques. Methods 32 arteries of 16 patients during chronic LA-therapy with carotid plaques and stenosis of 1–80% were matched according to degree of stenosis with 32 patients, who had recently suffered an ischemic stroke. Of these patients only the asymptomatic carotid artery was analyzed. All patients underwent black-blood 3 T CMR of the carotids using parallel imaging and dedicated surface coils. Cardiovascular risk factors were recorded. Morphology and composition of carotid plaques were evaluated. For statistical evaluation Fisher’s Exact and unpaired t-test were used. A p-value Results Patients in the LA-group were younger (63.5 vs. 73.9. years, p2, p Conclusion Results of this study suggest that, despite a severer risk profile for cardiovascular complications in LA-patients, chronic LA is associated with significantly lower lipid content in carotid plaques compared to plaques of patients without LA with similar degrees of stenosis, which is characteristic of clinically stable plaques.

Leptomeningeal collateral vessels are a major risk factor for intracranial hemorrhage after carotid stenting in patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaque.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kang Ji; Kwak, Hyo Sung; Chung, Gyung Ho; Song, Ji Soo; Hwang, Seung Bae

2016-05-01

To evaluate the relationship between leptomeningeal collaterals and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) after carotid artery stenting (CAS). A retrospective study was undertaken of 228 patients (median age 75 years (range 44-90); 187 men and 41 women) who underwent CAS due to unilateral carotid atherosclerotic plaque from January 2009 to December 2013. Cerebral angiographic findings were classified into three patterns: type I, normal visualization of the anterior and middle cerebral arteries without leptomeningeal collaterals; type II, visualization of the middle cerebral artery only without leptomeningeal collaterals; and type III, visualization of leptomeningeal collateral flow. For all cerebral angiographic findings, 146 (64.0%) were type I, 61 (26.8%) were type II, and 21 (9.2%) were type III. Four patients (1.8%) died with fatal ICH after CAS and had type III angiographic findings (19%). The prevalence of ICH in patients with leptomeningeal collateral vessels was significantly higher than in patients without leptomeningeal collateral vessels (19% vs 0%, pcollateral vessels are a major risk factor for ICH after CAS in patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaque. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Assessment of 'on-treatment platelet reactivity' and relationship with cerebral micro-embolic signals in asymptomatic and symptomatic carotid stenosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinsella, Justin A; Oliver Tobin, W; Tierney, Sean; Feeley, Timothy M; Egan, Bridget; Coughlan, Tara; Ronan Collins, D; O'Neill, Desmond; Harbison, Joseph A; Doherty, Colin P; Madhavan, Prakash; Moore, Dermot J; O'Neill, Sean M; Colgan, Mary-Paula; Saqqur, Maher; Murphy, Raymond P; Moran, Niamh; Hamilton, George; McCabe, Dominick J H

2017-05-15

The relationship between on-treatment platelet reactivity and cerebral micro-embolic signals (MES) is unknown, and has not been previously simultaneously assessed in asymptomatic and symptomatic carotid stenosis patients. Consecutive eligible patients with ≥50% asymptomatic or recently symptomatic carotid stenosis (≤4weeks following TIA/ischaemic stroke) were recruited to this pilot study. Symptomatic patients were followed up to the 'late' phase (≥3months) following symptom onset or carotid intervention; longitudinal data were analysed from symptomatic patients with data available at both time-points. Platelet function/reactivity was assessed with the PFA-100® to measure collagen-ADP (C-ADP) and collagen-epinephrine (C-EPI) closure times in citrate-anticoagulated whole blood. Bilateral simultaneous 1-hour transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) monitoring of the middle cerebral arteries was performed to classify patients as MES +ve or MES -ve. 31 patients with ≥50% asymptomatic and 46 with early symptomatic carotid stenosis or occlusion were included. 35 symptomatic patients were followed up to the late phase (23 following carotid intervention). Prevalence of 'high on-treatment platelet reactivity' (HTPR) on the C-EPI cartridge did not differ between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients overall, but was lower in 'symptomatic post-intervention' than asymptomatic patients on aspirin monotherapy (10% vs. 50%; p=0.03). The prevalence of HTPR on the C-EPI cartridge decreased between the early and late phases in symptomatic patients (63% vs. 34%; p=0.017), including those on aspirin monotherapy (p=0.016). There were no significant differences in HTPR status between asymptomatic vs. early or late symptomatic MES +ve or MES -ve patients. Carotid interventional treatment, presumably in combination with resolution of the acute phase response, may decrease the prevalence of HTPR in patients with recently symptomatic carotid stenosis over time. Preliminary subgroup

Effective risk stratification in patients with moderate cardiovascular risk using albuminuria and atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid arteries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Greve, Sara V; Blicher, Marie K; Sehestedt, Thomas

2015-01-01

, Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE), and Framingham risk score (FRS) groups. Subclinical vascular damage was defined as carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity at least 12 m/s, and carotid atherosclerotic plaques or urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) at least 90th percentile of 0.73/1.06 mg...... risk patients and high-intermediate FRS risk patients with high risk (P = 0.04 and P = 0.001, respectively), whereas elevated carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity did not. Elevated UACR or presence of atherosclerotic plaques reclassified patients from moderate to high SCORE risk [net reclassification...... improvement of 6.4%; P = 0.025), or from high intermediate to high FRS risk (net reclassification improvement 8.8%; P = 0.002). Assuming primary prevention could reduce the relative cardiovascular risk by 24-27%, on the basis of actual levels of blood pressure and cholesterol, one composite endpoint could...

Revascularization of the internal carotid artery for isolated, stenotic, and symptomatic kinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Illuminati, Giulio; Calió, Francesco G; Papaspyropoulos, Vassilios; Montesano, Giuseppe; D'Urso, Antonio

2003-02-01

The operation for isolated, stenotic, and symptomatic kinking of the internal carotid artery is safe and effective in preventing stroke and relieving the symptoms of cerebral ischemia. A consecutive sample clinical study with a mean follow-up of 44 months. The surgical department of an academic tertiary care center and an affiliated secondary care center. Fifty-four patients with a mean age of 67 years underwent 55 revascularizations of the internal carotid artery. The surgical procedures consisted of the following: shortening and reimplantation in the common carotid artery in 36 cases, bypass grafting in 15 cases, and transposition into the external carotid artery in 4 cases. Cumulative survival, primary patency, and stroke-free and neurologic symptom-free rates expressed by standard life-table analysis. No patients died in the postoperative period. The postoperative stroke rate was 1.8%. The cumulative rates (SEs) at 5 years were as follows: survival, 70% (10.2%); primary patency, 89% (7.8%); overall stroke free, 92% (6.8%); ipsilateral stroke free, 96% (5.3%); neurologic symptom free, 90% (7.5%); and ipsilateral symptom free, 93% (6.5%). Revascularization of the internal carotid artery for the treatment of isolated, stenotic, and symptomatic kinking is safe and effective in preventing stroke and relieving symptoms of cerebrovascular insufficiency.

A computational evaluation of sedentary lifestyle effects on carotid hemodynamics and atherosclerotic events incidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Caruso, Maria Vittoria; Serra, Raffaele; Perri, Paolo; Buffone, Gianluca; Caliò, Francesco Giuseppe; DE Franciscis, Stefano; Fragomeni, Fragomeni

2017-01-01

Hemodynamics has a key role in atheropathogenesis. Indeed, atherosclerotic phenomena occur in vessels characterized by complex geometry and flow pattern, like the carotid bifurcation. Moreover, lifestyle is a significant risk factor. The aim of this study is to evaluate the hemodynamic effects due to two sedentary lifestyles - sitting and standing positions - in the carotid bifurcation in order to identify the worst condition and to investigate the atherosclerosis incidence. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was chosen to carry out the analysis, in which in vivo non-invasive measurements were used as boundary conditions. Furthermore, to compare the two conditions, one patient-specific 3D model of a carotid bifurcation was reconstructed starting from computer tomography. Different mechanical indicators, correlated with atherosclerosis incidence, were calculated in addition to flow pattern and pressure distribution: the time average wall shear stress (TAWSS), the oscillatory shear index (OSI) and the relative residence time (RRT). The results showed that the bulb and the external carotid artery emergence are the most probable regions in which atherosclerotic events could happen. Indeed, low velocity and WSS values, high OSI and, as a consequence, areas with chaotic-swirling flow, with stasis (high RRT), occur. Moreover, the sitting position is the worst condition: considering a cardiac cycle, TAWSS is less than 17.2% and OSI and RRT are greater than 17.5% and 21.2%, respectively. This study suggests that if a person spends much time in the sitting position, a high risk of plaque formation and, consequently, of stenosis could happen.

Angioplasty of symptomatic high-grade internal carotid artery stenosis with intraluminal thrombus: therapeutic approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalez, A.; Mayol, A. [Seccion de Neurorradiologia Intervencionista, Servicio de Radiologia, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, Avenida Manuel Siurot s/n, Avenida Manuel Siurot s/n, 41013, Sevilla (Spain); Gil-Peralta, A.; Gonzalez-Marcos, J.R. [Servicio de Neurologia, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, Avenida Manuel Siurot s/n, 41013, Sevilla (Spain); Boza, F. [Servicio de Neurofisiologia, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, Avenida Manuel Siurot s/n, 41013, Sevilla (Spain); Ruano, J. [Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio, Avenida Manuel Siurot s/n, 41013, Sevilla (Spain)

2004-04-01

Intraluminal thrombus in the internal carotid artery (ICA) is usually found in patients with severe atheromatous stenosis. Having reviewed 300 carotid angioplasties for symptomatic >70% ICA stenosis, we found three patients (1%) with intraluminal thrombus. Conservative treatment with anticoagulants and double antiplatelet coverage can result in lysis of the thrombus without severe risks. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting, preferably with distal protection, can be an excellent alternative to carotid endarterectomy. (orig.)

Body mass index and outcome after revascularization for symptomatic carotid artery stenosis

Science.gov (United States)

Greving, Jacoba P.; Hendrikse, Jeroen; Algra, Ale; Kappelle, L. Jaap; Becquemin, Jean-Pierre; Bonati, Leo H.; Brott, Thomas G.; Bulbulia, Richard; Calvet, David; Eckstein, Hans-Henning; Fraedrich, Gustav; Gregson, John; Halliday, Alison; Howard, George; Jansen, Olav; Roubin, Gary S.; Brown, Martin M.; Mas, Jean-Louis; Ringleb, Peter A.

2017-01-01

Objective: To determine whether the obesity paradox exists in patients who undergo carotid artery stenting (CAS) or carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. Methods: We combined individual patient data from 2 randomized trials (Endarterectomy vs Angioplasty in Patients with Symptomatic Severe Carotid Stenosis and Stent-Protected Angioplasty vs Carotid Endarterectomy) and 3 centers in a third trial (International Carotid Stenting Study). Baseline body mass index (BMI) was available for 1,969 patients and classified into 4 groups: 120 days after randomization). This outcome was compared between different BMI strata in CAS and CEA patients separately, and in the total group. We performed intention-to-treat multivariable Cox regression analyses. Results: Median follow-up was 2.0 years. Stroke or death occurred in 159 patients in the periprocedural (cumulative risk 8.1%) and in 270 patients in the postprocedural period (rate 4.8/100 person-years). BMI did not affect periprocedural risk of stroke or death for patients assigned to CAS (ptrend = 0.39) or CEA (ptrend = 0.77) or for the total group (ptrend = 0.48). Within the total group, patients with BMI 25–<30 had lower postprocedural risk of stroke or death than patients with BMI 20–<25 (BMI 25–<30 vs BMI 20–<25; hazard ratio 0.72; 95% confidence interval 0.55–0.94). Conclusions: BMI is not associated with periprocedural risk of stroke or death; however, BMI 25–<30 is associated with lower postprocedural risk than BMI 20–<25. These observations were similar for CAS and CEA. PMID:28446644

Early risk of recurrent stroke in patients with symptomatic carotid near-occlusion: Results from CAOS, a multicenter registry study.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Pastor, Andrés; Gil-Núñez, Antonio; Ramírez-Moreno, José María; González-Nafría, Noelia; Tejada, Javier; Moniche, Francisco; Portilla-Cuenca, Juan Carlos; Martínez-Sánchez, Patricia; Fuentes, Blanca; Gamero-García, Miguel Ángel; Alonso de Leciñana, María; Cánovas-Verge, David; Aladro, Yolanda; Parkhutik, Vera; Lago-Martín, Aida; de Arce-Borda, Ana María; Usero-Ruíz, María; Delgado-Mederos, Raquel; Pampliega, Ana; Ximenez-Carrillo, Álvaro; Bártulos-Iglesias, Mónica; Castro-Reyes, Enrique

2017-10-01

Background The risk of recurrent stroke among patients with symptomatic carotid near-occlusion is not well established, and management of the condition remains controversial. Symptomatic carotid near-occlusion with full collapse has been identified as a strong predictor of early recurrence. We aimed to analyze the 90-day risk of recurrent ipsilateral ischemic stroke in medically treated patients with symptomatic carotid near-occlusion. Methods We performed a multicenter, nationwide, prospective study from January 2010 to May 2016. Patients with angiography-confirmed symptomatic carotid near-occlusion were included. The primary endpoint was ipsilateral ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) within 90 days after the presenting event. For this analysis, patients who underwent revascularization within 90 days after stroke were excluded. Results The study population comprised 141 patients from 17 Spanish centers; 83 patients were treated medically. Primary endpoint occurred in eight patients, resulting in a cumulative rate of 10.6% (95% CI, 3.7-17.5). Previous history of stroke or transient ischemic attack was identified as an independent predictor for recurrence in the multivariate Cox regression analysis (HR, 4.37 [95% CI, 1.05-18.18]; p = 0.043), while the presence of full collapse was not associated with an increased risk (HR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.17-3.92]; p = 0.793). The risk of recurrence was also not affected by the presence of significant stenosis or occlusion of the contralateral carotid artery, or by the collateral circulation. Conclusions Patients with symptomatic carotid near-occlusion seem to have an increased risk of early ipsilateral recurrent stroke. Our results contrast with the low risk of symptomatic carotid near-occlusion reported to date. Full collapse did not increase the risk of recurrent stroke in our study.

⁶⁴Cu-DOTATATE PET/MRI for detection of activated macrophages in carotid atherosclerotic plaques

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Sune Folke; Sandholt, Benjamin Vikjær; Keller, Sune Høgild

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: A feature of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques of the carotid artery is high activity and abundance of lesion macrophages. There is consensus that this is of importance for plaque vulnerability, which may lead to clinical events, such as stroke and transient ischemic attack. We used p...

Associations of cardiovascular risk factors, carotid intima-media thickness and manifest atherosclerotic vascular disease with carpal tunnel syndrome

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Liira Helena

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The role of atherosclerosis in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS has not previously been addressed in population studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of cardiovascular risk factors, carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT, and clinical atherosclerotic diseases with CTS. Methods In this cross sectional study, the target population consisted of subjects aged 30 or over who had participated in the national Finnish Health Survey in 2000-2001. Of the 7977 eligible subjects, 6254 (78.4% were included in our study. Carotid IMT was measured in a sub-sample of subjects aged 45 to 74 (N = 1353. Results Obesity (adjusted odds ratio (OR 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI 1.1-5.4, high LDL cholesterol (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.6-9.1 for >190 vs. 200 vs. Conclusions Our findings suggest an association between CTS and cardiovascular risk factors in young people, and carotid IMT and clinical atherosclerotic vascular disease in older people. CTS may either be a manifestation of atherosclerosis, or both conditions may share similar risk factors.

New ischaemic brain lesions on MRI after stenting or endarterectomy for symptomatic carotid stenosis: a substudy of the International Carotid Stenting Study (ICSS)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bonati, Leo H.; Jongen, Lisa M.; Haller, Sven; Flach, H. Zwenneke; Dobson, Joanna; Nederkoorn, Paul J.; Macdonald, Sumaira; Gaines, Peter A.; Waaijer, Annet; Waajier, Annet; Stierli, Peter; Jäger, H. Rolf; Lyrer, Philippe A.; Kappelle, L. Jaap; Wetzel, Stephan G.; van der Lugt, Aad; Mali, Willem P.; Brown, Martin M.; van der Worp, H. Bart; Engelter, Stefan T.; Koelemaij, M. J. W.; Majoie, C. B. L. M.; Reekers, J. A. A.; Roos, Y. B. W. E. M.; Flach, H. Z.; Hendriks, J. M.; Koudstaal, P. J.; Pattynama, P. M. T.; van Dijk, L. C.; van Sambeek, M. R. H. M.; van der Lugt, A.; van Urk, H.; Verhagen, H. J. M.; de Borst, G. J.; de Kort, G. A. P.; Jongen, L. M.; Kappelle, L. J.; Lo, T. H.; Mali, W. P. Th M.; Moll, F. L.; van der Worp, H. B.; Bonati, L. H.; Engelter, S. T.; Fluri, F.; Haller, S.; Jacob, A. L.; Kirsch, E.; Lyrer, P. A.; Radue, E.-W.; Stierli, P.

2010-01-01

BACKGROUND: The International Carotid Stenting Study (ICSS) of stenting and endarterectomy for symptomatic carotid stenosis found a higher incidence of stroke within 30 days of stenting compared with endarterectomy. We aimed to compare the rate of ischaemic brain injury detectable on MRI between the

Cadmium exposure and atherosclerotic carotid plaques –Results from the Malmö diet and Cancer study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fagerberg, Björn; Barregard, Lars; Sallsten, Gerd; Forsgard, Niklas; Östling, Gerd; Persson, Margaretha; Borné, Yan

2015-01-01

Background: Epidemiological studies indicate that cadmium exposure through diet and smoking is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. There are few data on the relationship between cadmium and plaques, the hallmark of underlying atherosclerotic disease. Objectives: To examine the association between exposure to cadmium and the prevalence and size of atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid artery. Methods: A population sample of 4639 Swedish middle-aged women and men was examined in 1991–1994. Carotid plaque was determined by B-mode ultrasound. Cadmium in blood was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results: Comparing quartile 4 with quartile 1 of blood cadmium, the odds ratio (OR) for prevalence of any plaque was 1.9 (95% confidence interval 1.6–2.2) after adjustment for sex and, age; 1.4 (1.1–1.8) after additional adjustment for smoking status; 1.4 (1.1–1.7) after the addition of education level and life style factors; 1.3 (1.03–1.8) after additional adjustment for risk factors and predictors of cardiovascular disease. No effect modification by sex was found in the cadmium-related prevalence of plaques. Similarly, ORs for the prevalence of small and large plaques were after full adjustment 1.4 (1.0–2.1) and 1.4 (0.9–2.0), respectively. The subgroup of never smokers showed no association between cadmium and atherosclerotic plaques. Conclusions: These results extend previous studies on cadmium exposure and clinical cardiovascular events by adding data on the association between cadmium and underlying atherosclerosis in humans. The role of smoking remains unclear. It may both cause residual confounding and be a source of pro-atherogenic cadmium exposure. - Highlights: • Blood cadmium level is associated with atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid artery. • The results extend previous knowledge of cadmium exposure and clinical events. • The role of smoking remains unclear

Cadmium exposure and atherosclerotic carotid plaques –Results from the Malmö diet and Cancer study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fagerberg, Björn, E-mail: bjorn.fagerberg@wlab.gu.se [Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Wallenberg Laboratory for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE-413 45 Gothenburg (Sweden); Barregard, Lars, E-mail: lars.barregard@amm.gu.se [Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and University of Gothenburg, SE 413 45 Gothenburg (Sweden); Sallsten, Gerd, E-mail: gerd.sallsten@amm.gu.se [Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and University of Gothenburg, SE 413 45 Gothenburg (Sweden); Forsgard, Niklas, E-mail: niklas.forsgard@vgregion.se [Department of Clinical Chemistry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE-413 45 Gothenburg (Sweden); Östling, Gerd, E-mail: gerd.ostling@med.lu.se [Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, CRC, Jan Waldenströms gata 35, Skane University Hospital, Malmö, 205 02 Malmö (Sweden); Persson, Margaretha, E-mail: margaretha.persson@med.lu.se [Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, CRC, Jan Waldenströms gata 35, Skane University Hospital, Malmö, 205 02 Malmö (Sweden); Borné, Yan, E-mail: yan.borne@med.lu.se [Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Department of Clinical Sciences in Malmö, CRC, Jan Waldenströms gata 35, Skane University Hospital, Malmö, 205 02 Malmö (Sweden); and others

2015-01-15

Background: Epidemiological studies indicate that cadmium exposure through diet and smoking is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. There are few data on the relationship between cadmium and plaques, the hallmark of underlying atherosclerotic disease. Objectives: To examine the association between exposure to cadmium and the prevalence and size of atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid artery. Methods: A population sample of 4639 Swedish middle-aged women and men was examined in 1991–1994. Carotid plaque was determined by B-mode ultrasound. Cadmium in blood was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results: Comparing quartile 4 with quartile 1 of blood cadmium, the odds ratio (OR) for prevalence of any plaque was 1.9 (95% confidence interval 1.6–2.2) after adjustment for sex and, age; 1.4 (1.1–1.8) after additional adjustment for smoking status; 1.4 (1.1–1.7) after the addition of education level and life style factors; 1.3 (1.03–1.8) after additional adjustment for risk factors and predictors of cardiovascular disease. No effect modification by sex was found in the cadmium-related prevalence of plaques. Similarly, ORs for the prevalence of small and large plaques were after full adjustment 1.4 (1.0–2.1) and 1.4 (0.9–2.0), respectively. The subgroup of never smokers showed no association between cadmium and atherosclerotic plaques. Conclusions: These results extend previous studies on cadmium exposure and clinical cardiovascular events by adding data on the association between cadmium and underlying atherosclerosis in humans. The role of smoking remains unclear. It may both cause residual confounding and be a source of pro-atherogenic cadmium exposure. - Highlights: • Blood cadmium level is associated with atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid artery. • The results extend previous knowledge of cadmium exposure and clinical events. • The role of smoking remains unclear.

Atherosclerotic plaque in the left carotid artery is more vulnerable than in the right.

Science.gov (United States)

Selwaness, Mariana; van den Bouwhuijsen, Quirijn; van Onkelen, Robbert S; Hofman, Albert; Franco, Oscar H; van der Lugt, Aad; Wentzel, Jolanda J; Vernooij, Meike

2014-11-01

Ischemic stroke is more often diagnosed in the left hemisphere than in the right. It is unknown whether this asymmetrical prevalence relates to differences in carotid atherosclerosis. We compared atherosclerotic plaque prevalence, severity, and composition between left and right carotid arteries. In a population-based cohort, carotid MRI scanning was performed in 1414 stroke-free participants (≥45 years). Using a multisequence MRI protocol, we assessed the prevalence, stenosis, and thickness of the plaque and its predominant component (ie, lipid core, intraplaque hemorrhage, calcification, or fibrous tissue in each carotid artery). Differences between left and right side were tested using paired t tests, McNemar test and Generalized Estimating Equation analyses. The majority (85%) of the participants had bilateral carotid plaques. Unilateral plaques were twice more prevalent on the left than on the right side (67% versus 33%; Pthe left (3.1±1.2 versus 2.9±1.3 mm; Pthe left (9.1 versus 5.9%; Pthe right (37.4 versus 31.6% at the left; Pright-sided plaques, which are more calcified and therefore considered more stable. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Immediate versus delayed treatment for recently symptomatic carotid artery stenosis

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Vladimir Vasconcelos

Full Text Available ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The timing of surgery for recently symptomatic carotid artery stenosis remains controversial. Early cerebral revascularization may prevent a disabling or fatal ischemic recurrence, but it may also increase the risk of hemorrhagic transformation, or of dislodging a thrombus. This review examined the randomized controlled evidence that addressed whether the increased risk of recurrent events outweighed the increased benefit of an earlier intervention. OBJECTIVES: To assess the risks and benefits of performing very early cerebral revascularization (within two days compared with delayed treatment (after two days for people with recently symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. METHODS: Search methods: We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group Trials Register in January 2016, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; The Cochrane Library 2016, issue 1, MEDLINE (1948 to 26 January 2016, EMBASE (1974 to 26 January 2016, LILACS (1982 to 26 January 2016, and trial registers (from inception to 26 January 2016. We also handsearched conference proceedings and journals, and searched reference lists. There were no language restrictions. We contacted colleagues and pharmaceutical companies to identify further studies and unpublished trials Selection criteria: All completed, truly randomized trials (RCT that compared very early cerebral revascularization (within two days with delayed treatment (after two days for people with recently symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. Data collection and analysis: We independently selected trials for inclusion according to the above criteria, assessed risk of bias for each trial, and performed data extraction. We utilized an intention-to-treat analysis strategy. MAIN RESULTS: We identified one RCT that involved 40 participants, and addressed the timing of surgery for people with recently symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. It compared very early surgery with surgery performed after 14 days of

Duplex ultrasound: A diagnostic tool for carotid stenosis management in type 2 diabetes mellitus

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Yogan Kisten

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Diabetic patients are at increased risk of developing cardiac events and stroke, and prevention of diabetes mellitus is therefore desirable. Marked geographical and ethnic variation in the prevalence of diabetes caused by urbanisation, demographic and epidemiological transitions has rendered this one of the major non-communicable diseases in South Africa. Duplex ultrasound (DUS plays an important role in primary health care in early detection of carotid atherosclerotic disease and the degree of carotid stenosis present. It is a reliable, cost-effective and non-invasive diagnostic tool. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of ultrasound in carotid stenosis management in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of carotid stenosis in a selected T2DM population using DUS and to correlate these findings with other predisposing atherosclerotic risk factors. Methods: The study setting was at an academic hospital in the Western Cape using carotid DUS reports of 103 diabetic subjects ≥ 35 years old. Predisposing risk factors were correlated with degree of carotid stenosis present. Data were analysed using the Fischer exact test, Chisquare and Student t-test. Results: Carotid DUS reports of 63 out of 103 T2DM patients revealed no evidence of a carotid stenosis, thereby lowering the risk profile. Forty patients were identified as having carotidstenosis; 22 symptomatic patients had a > 70% carotid stenosis which warranted surgicalintervention. A greater prevalence of stenosis in the Caucasian group, in both the male (p =0.0411 and female (p = 0.0458 cohorts, was noted. The overall trend suggested a relationship between T2DM and lifestyle, and a statistically significant relationship (p = 0.0063 between smoking and carotid stenosis was observed. Conclusion: T2DM and predisposing atherosclerotic risk factors significantly increased thepossibility of carotid stenosis development.

Association between Human Plasma Chondroitin Sulfate Isomers and Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaques

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Elisabetta Zinellu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Several studies have evidenced variations in plasma glycosaminoglycans content in physiological and pathological conditions. In normal human plasma GAGs are present mainly as undersulfated chondroitin sulfate (CS. The aim of the present study was to evaluate possible correlations between plasma CS level/structure and the presence/typology of carotid atherosclerotic lesion. Plasma CS was purified from 46 control subjects and 47 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy showing either a soft or a hard plaque. The concentration and structural characteristics of plasma CS were assessed by capillary electrophoresis of constituent unsaturated fluorophore-labeled disaccharides. Results showed that the concentration of total CS isomers was increased by 21.4% (P<0.01 in plasma of patients, due to a significant increase of undersulfated CS. Consequently, in patients the plasma CS charge density was significantly reduced with respect to that of controls. After sorting for plaque typology, we found that patients with soft plaques and those with hard ones differently contribute to the observed changes. In plasma from patients with soft plaques, the increase in CS content was not associated with modifications of its sulfation pattern. On the contrary, the presence of hard plaques was associated with CS sulfation pattern modifications in presence of quite normal total CS isomers levels. These results suggest that the plasma CS content and structure could be related to the presence and the typology of atherosclerotic plaque and could provide a useful diagnostic tool, as well as information on the molecular mechanisms responsible for plaque instability.

Spectral CT of carotid atherosclerotic plaque: comparison with histology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zainon, R.; Doesburg, R.M. [University of Canterbury, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Christchurch (New Zealand); Ronaldson, J.P.; Gieseg, S.P. [University of Otago, Centre for Bioengineering, Christchurch (New Zealand); Janmale, T. [University of Canterbury, Free Radical Biochemistry Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Christchurch (New Zealand); Scott, N.J. [University of Otago, Department of Medicine, Christchurch (New Zealand); Buckenham, T.M. [University of Otago, Department of Academic Radiology, Christchurch (New Zealand); Butler, A.P.H. [University of Otago, Centre for Bioengineering, Christchurch (New Zealand); University of Otago, Department of Academic Radiology, Christchurch (New Zealand); University of Canterbury, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Christchurch (New Zealand); European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Butler, P.H. [University of Canterbury, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Christchurch (New Zealand); European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland); Roake, J.A. [Christchurch Hospital, Department of Vascular, Endovascular and Transplant Surgery, Christchurch (New Zealand); Anderson, N.G. [University of Otago, Centre for Bioengineering, Christchurch (New Zealand); University of Otago, Department of Academic Radiology, Christchurch (New Zealand); University of Otago, Christchurch, Department of Radiology, PO Box 4345, Christchurch (New Zealand)

2012-12-15

To distinguish components of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque by imaging their energy response using spectral CT and comparing images with histology. After spectroscopic calibration using phantoms of plaque surrogates, excised human carotid atherosclerotic plaques were imaged using MARS CT using a photon-processing detector with a silicon sensor layer and microfocus X-ray tube (50 kVp, 0.5 mA) at 38-{mu}m voxel size. The plaques were imaged, sectioned and re-imaged using four threshold energies: 10, 16, 22 and 28 keV; then sequentially stained with modified Von Kossa, Perl's Prussian blue and Oil-Red O, and photographed. Relative Hounsfield units across the energies were entered into a linear algebraic material decomposition model to identify the unknown plaque components. Lipid, calcium, iron and water-like components of plaque have distinguishable energy responses to X-ray, visible on spectral CT images. CT images of the plaque surface correlated very well with histological photographs. Calcium deposits (>1,000 {mu}m) in plaque are larger than iron deposits (<100 {mu}m), but could not be distinguished from each other within the same voxel using the energy range available. Spectral CT displays energy information in image form at high spatial resolution, enhancing the intrinsic contrast of lipid, calcium and iron within atheroma. (orig.)

Visual Aids for Improving Patient Decision Making in Severe Symptomatic Carotid Stenosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fridman, Sebastian; Saposnik, Gustavo; Sposato, Luciano A

2017-12-01

Because of the large amount of information to process and the limited time of a clinical consult, choosing between carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid angioplasty with stenting (CAS) can be confusing for patients with severe symptomatic internal carotid stenosis (ICA). We aim to develop a visual aid tool to help clinicians and patients in the decision-making process of selecting between CEA and CAS. Based on pooled analysis from randomized controlled trials including patients with symptomatic and severe ICA (SSICA), we generated visual plots comparing CEA with CAS for 3 prespecified postprocedural time points: (1) any stroke or death at 4 months, and (2) any stroke or death in the first 30 days and ipsilateral stroke thereafter at 5 years and (3) at 10 years. A total of 4574 participants (2393 assigned to CAS, and 2361 to CEA) were included in the analyses. For every 100 patients with SSICA, 6 would develop any stroke or death in the CEA group compared with 9 undergoing CAS at 4 months (hazard ratio [HR] 1.53; 95%CI 1.20-1.95). At 5 years, 7 patients in the CEA group would develop any periprocedural stroke or death and ipsilateral stroke thereafter versus 12 undergoing CAS (HR 1.72; 95%CI 1.24-2.39), compared with 10 patients in the CEA and 13 in the CAS groups at 10 years (HR 1.17; 95%CI 0.82-1.66). Visual aids presented in this study could potentially help patients with severe symptomatic internal carotid stenosis to better weigh the risks and benefits of CEA versus CAS as a function of time, allowing for the prioritization of personal preferences, and should be prospectively assessed. Copyright © 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Plaque inflammation and unstable morphology are associated with early stroke recurrence in symptomatic carotid stenosis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Marnane, Michael

2014-03-01

Although symptomatic carotid stenosis is associated with 3-fold increased risk of early stroke recurrence, the pathophysiologic mechanisms of high early stroke risk have not been established. We aimed to investigate the relationship between early stroke recurrence after initial symptoms and histological features of plaque inflammation and instability in resected carotid plaque.

Colour Doppler evaluation of extracranial carotid artery in patients presenting with features of cerebrovascular disease: A clinical and radiological correlation

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Sanjeev Sehrawat

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: To evaluate the morphological and hemodynamic changes that take place in carotid arteries by colour Doppler in patients presenting with features of stroke. Background and Objectives: Cerebrovascular accidents constitute a major cause of adult mortality. The principal indication for cerebrovascular Doppler examination is stroke prevention. Colour Doppler sonography is a sensitive method for detection of atherosclerotic plaque and provides considerable information about the extent and severity of plaque as well as the resulting diminution of arterial lumen. The main strengths of sonography of carotid arteries are patient comfort, lack of risk and accuracy in detecting carotid stenosis. Material and Methods: A prospective study of Colour Doppler in carotid arteries was carried out for 12 months from 1 st July 2009 to 1 st July 2010. The study was carried out on 40 individuals, suspected of cerebrovascular insufficiency and having one or the other risk factors for cerebrovascular disease. A detailed clinical history, CNS examination findings and evidence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and ischemic heart disease were noted. Carotid Doppler evaluation was done by using Siemens Antares Ultrasound system. The data gathered were grey scale and Doppler findings of common carotid artery, internal carotid artery and external carotid arteries. Doppler findings were correlated with clinical features and risk factors. Results: In our study of 40 patients, the commonest lesion found was the atherosclerotic plaque. Highest incidence of plaque was seen in males 41% in the age group of 60-70 years and in females 37% in age group of 70-80 years. Cigarette smoking was the most common risk factor (60% associated with stroke/ Transient Ischaemic Attacks (TIA. Hemiparesis was the most common presenting symptom (35% among the symptomatic cases. Atheromatous plaque was most commonly found in the right carotid system (60%. Most common site for

The evidence for medicine versus surgery for carotid stenosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ederle, Joerg; Brown, Martin M.

2006-01-01

Atherosclerotic stenosis of the internal carotid artery is an important cause of stroke. Several large randomised trials have compared best medical management with carotid endarterectomy and provide a strong evidence base for advising and selecting patients for carotid surgery. Best medical management of carotid stenosis includes lowering of blood pressure, treatment with statins and antiplatelet therapy in symptomatic patients. Combined analysis of the symptomatic carotid surgery trials, together with observational data, has shown that patients with recently symptomatic severe carotid stenosis have a very high risk of recurrent stroke in the first few days and weeks after symptoms. Carotid endarterectomy has a risk of causing stroke or death at the time of surgery in symptomatic patients of around 5-7%, but in patients with recently symptomatic stenosis of more than 70%, the benefits of endarterectomy outweigh the risks. In patients with moderate stenosis of between 50 and 69%, the benefits may justify surgery in patients with very recent symptoms, and in patients older than 75 years within a few months of symptoms. Patients with less than 50% stenosis do not benefit from surgery. In asymptomatic patients, or those whose symptoms occurred more than 6 months ago, the benefits of surgery are considerably less. Patients with asymptomatic stenosis treated medically only have a small risk of future stroke when treated medically of about 2% per annum. If carotid endarterectomy can be performed safely with a perioperative stroke and death rate of no more than 3%, then the randomised trials showed a significant benefit of surgery over 5 years follow-up, with an overall reduction in the risk of stroke from about 11% over 5 years down to 6%. However, of 100 patients operated, only 5 will benefit from avoiding a stroke over 5 years. The majority of neurologists have concluded that this does not justify a policy of routine screening and endarterectomy for asymptomatic

Analysis of haemodynamic disturbance in the atherosclerotic carotid artery using computational fluid dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birchall, Daniel; Zaman, Azfar; Hacker, Jacob; Davies, Gavin; Mendelow, David

2006-01-01

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) provides a means for the quantitative analysis of haemodynamic disturbances in vivo, but most work has used phantoms or idealised geometry. Our purpose was to use CFD to analyse flow in carotid atherosclerosis using patient-specific geometry and flow data. Eight atherosclerotic carotid arteries and one healthy control artery were imaged with magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and duplex ultrasound, and the data used to construct patient-specific computational models used for CFD and wall shear stress (WSS) analysis. There is a progressive change in three-dimensional (3-D) velocity profile and WSS profile with increasing severity of stenosis, characterised by increasing restriction of areas of low WSS, change in oscillation patterns, and progressive rise in WSS within stenoses and downstream jets. Areas of turbulent, retrograde flow and of low WSS are demonstrated in the lee of the stenoses. This study presents the largest CFD analysis of abnormal haemodynamics at the atheromatous carotid bifurcation using patient-specific data and provides the basis for further investigation of causal links between haemodynamic variables and atherogenesis and formation of unstable plaque. We propose that this provides a means for the prospective assessment of relative stroke risk in patients with carotid atherosclerosis. (orig.)

All-optical extravascular laser-ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging of calcified atherosclerotic plaque in excised carotid artery

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Jami L. Johnson

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Photoacoustic (PA imaging may be advantageous as a safe, non-invasive imaging modality to image the carotid artery. However, calcification that accompanies atherosclerotic plaque is difficult to detect with PA due to the non-distinct optical absorption spectrum of hydroxyapatite. We propose reflection-mode all-optical laser-ultrasound (LUS imaging to obtain high-resolution, non-contact, non-ionizing images of the carotid artery wall and calcification. All-optical LUS allows for flexible acquisition geometry and user-dependent data acquisition for high repeatability. We apply all-optical techniques to image an excised human carotid artery. Internal layers of the artery wall, enlargement of the vessel, and calcification are observed with higher resolution and reduced artifacts with nonconfocal LUS compared to confocal LUS. Validation with histology and X-ray computed tomography (CT demonstrates the potential for LUS as a method for non-invasive imaging in the carotid artery. Keywords: Atherosclerosis, Photoacoustic imaging, Laser-ultrasound, Calcification, Reverse-time migration

Calcified carotid atherosclerotic plaques on digital panoramic radiographs in patients with Type II diabetes mellitus: A case control study

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Neha Khambete

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: Diabetes mellitus is associated with accelerated carotid artery atherosclerosis and increased risk of stroke. This study was conducted with the objective of determining the prevalence of calcified atherosclerotic plaques on panoramic radiographs of patients with Type II diabetes mellitus. Materials and Methods: Panoramic radiographs of 100 patients (age range 50-84 years with known history of type II diabetes mellitus, visiting the outpatient department were evaluated for the presence of calcified atherosclerotic plaques. Age- and sex-matched controls were evaluated in the same manner. Statistical comparison of prevalence rates was done. Results: The radiographs of diabetics (mean age: 64.45 years revealed that 26% had atheromatous plaques, whereas those of controls (mean age: 65.36 years revealed that 6% had atheromatous plaques. A statistically significant difference (P = 0.01410 was obtained using Yates′ Chi-square test. Conclusion: People with diabetes mellitus had a greater prevalence of calcified atherosclerotic plaques on panoramic radiographs than non-diabetics. Panoramic radiographs of diabetic patients should be screened for the presence of carotid artery atheromatous plaques for timely medical referral of asymptomatic patients and avoiding any further serious consequences like cerebrovascular accidents.

Enterprise stent in recanalizing non-acute atherosclerotic intracranial internal carotid artery occlusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiaofei; Wang, Zhigang; Ji, Yong; Ding, Xuan; Zang, Yizheng; Wang, Chengwei

2017-11-01

To investigate the safety and effectiveness of recanalization in non-acute occlusion of intracranial internal carotid arteries using the flexible Enterprise self-expanding stent. From June 2014 to June 2016, 12 consecutive patients with non-acute occlusion of intracranial internal carotid arteries received endovascular recanalization with Enterprise stenting. All patients received medication for anti-platelet aggregation therapy before and after the operation. The perioperative complications and recanalization efficacy were evaluated with the modified Rankin scoring system and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) follow-up, respectively. Endovascular recanalization was successfully performed in 10 out of 12 patients with Enterprise stenting. Stent implantation following balloon dilatation failed in one patient because the lumen diameter was too small. Another recanalization failed because the guide wire could not pass through the occlusion. No perioperative mortality was observed. One case of acute thrombosis and one case of intraoperative carotid spasm occurred, but these were resolved with thrombolytic therapy by microcatheter exposure treatment and antispasmodic medications, respectively. DSA follow-up in seven patients revealed no re-occlusion. One stroke event occurred in the 10 patients who completed the follow-up. A meaningful improvement in the modified Rankin score during follow-up was suggested by Wilcoxon signed-rank test results. The Enterprise stent was shown to be safe and efficient in recanalizing non-acute atherosclerotic intracranial internal carotid artery occlusion. However, the long-term outcomes need to be further investigated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Direct anti-atherosclerotic therapy; development of natural anti-atherosclerotic drugs preventing cellular cholesterol retention.

Science.gov (United States)

Orekhov, Alexander N

2013-01-01

The results of numerous clinical trials with statins and other drugs have demonstrated the principal possibility of the prevention and regression of atherosclerosis by pharmacotherapy. This review describes the use of cultured human arterial cells for the mass screening of anti-atherosclerotic substances, the investigation of the mechanisms responsible for their atherosclerosis-related effects, and the optimization of anti-atherosclerotic and anti-atherogenic drug and dietary therapies. Natural products can be considered promising drugs for anti-atherosclerotic therapy. Our basic studies have shown that cellular lipidosis is the principal event in the genesis of atherosclerotic lesions. Using cellular models and natural products, we have developed an approach to prevent lipid accumulation in arterial cells. Based on our knowledge of atherosclerosis, we developed drugs that possess direct anti-atherosclerotic activity. Two-year treatment with allicor (garlic powder) has a direct anti-atherosclerotic effect on carotid atherosclerosis in asymptomatic men. Inflaminat (calendula, elder, and violet), which possesses anti-cytokine activity, has been shown to cause the regression of carotid atherosclerosis following the treatment of asymptomatic men for one year. The phytoestrogen-rich drug karinat (garlic powder, extract of grape seeds, green tea leaves, hop cones, β-carotene, α-tocopherol, and ascorbic acid) prevents the development of carotid atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women. Thus, our basic findings were successfully translated into clinical practice. Because of this translation, a novel approach to antiatherosclerotic therapy was developed. Our clinical trial confirmed the efficacy of both the novel approach and the novel drugs.

Atherosclerotic plaque component segmentation in combined carotid MRI and CTA data incorporating class label uncertainty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Engelen, Arna; Niessen, Wiro J.; Klein, Stefan

2014-01-01

Atherosclerotic plaque composition can indicate plaque vulnerability. We segment atherosclerotic plaque components from the carotid artery on a combination of in vivo MRI and CT-angiography (CTA) data using supervised voxelwise classification. In contrast to previous studies the ground truth...... for training is directly obtained from 3D registration with histology for fibrous and lipid-rich necrotic tissue, and with [Formula: see text]CT for calcification. This registration does, however, not provide accurate voxelwise correspondence. We therefore evaluate three approaches that incorporate uncertainty......), II) samples are weighted by the local contour distance of the lumen and outer wall between histology and in vivo data, and III) 10% of each class is rejected by Gaussian outlier rejection. Classification was evaluated on the relative volumes (% of tissue type in the vessel wall) for calcified...

Results in a consecutive series of 83 surgical corrections of symptomatic stenotic kinking of the internal carotid artery.

Science.gov (United States)

Illuminati, Giulio; Ricco, Jean-Baptiste; Caliò, Francesco G; D'Urso, Antonio; Ceccanei, Gianluca; Vietri, Francesco

2008-01-01

Although there is a growing body of evidence to document the safety and efficacy of operative treatment of carotid stenosis, surgical indications for elongation and kinking of the internal carotid artery remain controversial. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of surgical correction of internal carotid artery kinking in patients with persistent hemispheric symptoms despite antiplatelet therapy. A consecutive series of 81 patients (mean age, 64 years) underwent 83 surgical procedures to correct kinking of the internal carotid artery either by shortening and reimplanting the vessel on the common carotid artery, inserting a bypass graft, or transposing the vessel onto the external carotid artery. Mean follow-up was 56 months (range, 15-135 months). Study endpoints were 30-day mortality and any stroke occurring during follow-up. No postoperative death was observed. The postoperative stroke rate was 1%. Primary patency, freedom from neurologic symptoms, and late survival at 5 years (x +/- standard deviation) were 89 +/- 4.1%, 92 +/- 4%, and 71 +/- 6%, respectively. The findings of this study indicate that surgical correction for symptomatic stenotic kinking of the internal carotid artery is safe and effective in relieving symptoms and preventing stroke. Operative correction should be considered as the standard treatment for patients with symptomatic carotid kinking that does not respond to antiplatelet therapy.

Carotid artery stiffness, digital endothelial function, and coronary calcium in patients with essential thrombocytosis, free of overt atherosclerotic disease

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Vrtovec Matjaz

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs are at increased risk for atherothrombotic events. Our aim was to determine if patients with essential thrombocytosis (ET, a subtype of MPNs, free of symptomatic atherosclerosis, have greater carotid artery stiffness, worse endothelial function, greater coronary calcium and carotid plaque burden than control subjects.

Echolucency of computerized ultrasound images of carotid atherosclerotic plaques are associated with increased levels of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins as well as increased plaque lipid content

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grønholdt, Marie-Louise M.; Nordestgaard, Børge; Wiebe, Britt M.

1998-01-01

carotid plaque echo-lucency and that echo-lucency predicts a high plaque lipid content. Methods and Results-The study included 137 patients with neurological symptoms and greater than or equal to 50% stenosis of the relevant carotid artery, High-resolution B-mode ultrasound images of carotid plaques were......Background-Echo-lucency of carotid atherosclerotic plaques on computerized ultrasound B-mode images has been associated with a high incidence of brain infarcts as evaluated on CT scans. We tested the hypotheses that triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in the fasting and postprandial state predict...

Short-term outcome after stenting versus endarterectomy for symptomatic carotid stenosis: a preplanned meta-analysis of individual patient data.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonati, Leo H; Dobson, Joanna; Algra, Ale; Branchereau, Alain; Chatellier, Gilles; Fraedrich, Gustav; Mali, Willem P; Zeumer, Hermann; Brown, Martin M; Mas, Jean-Louis; Ringleb, Peter A

2010-09-25

Results from randomised controlled trials have shown a higher short-term risk of stroke associated with carotid stenting than with carotid endarterectomy for the treatment of symptomatic carotid stenosis. However, these trials were underpowered for investigation of whether carotid artery stenting might be a safe alternative to endarterectomy in specific patient subgroups. We therefore did a preplanned meta-analysis of individual patient data from three randomised controlled trials. Data from all 3433 patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis who were randomly assigned and analysed in the Endarterectomy versus Angioplasty in Patients with Symptomatic Severe Carotid Stenosis (EVA-3S) trial, the Stent-Protected Angioplasty versus Carotid Endarterectomy (SPACE) trial, and the International Carotid Stenting Study (ICSS) were pooled and analysed with fixed-effect binomial regression models adjusted for source trial. The primary outcome event was any stroke or death. The intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis included all patients and outcome events occurring between randomisation and 120 days thereafter. The per-protocol (PP) analysis was restricted to patients receiving the allocated treatment and events occurring within 30 days after treatment. In the first 120 days after randomisation (ITT analysis), any stroke or death occurred significantly more often in the carotid stenting group (153 [8·9%] of 1725) than in the carotid endarterectomy group (99 [5·8%] of 1708, risk ratio [RR] 1·53, [95% CI 1·20-1·95], p=0·0006; absolute risk difference 3·2 [1·4-4·9]). Of all subgroup variables assessed, only age significantly modified the treatment effect: in patients younger than 70 years (median age), the estimated 120-day risk of stroke or death was 50 (5·8%) of 869 patients in the carotid stenting group and 48 (5·7%) of 843 in the carotid endarterectomy group (RR 1·00 [0·68-1·47]); in patients 70 years or older, the estimated risk with carotid stenting was twice that

Stenting for symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis associated with bilateral carotid rate mirabile: The long-term clinical and angiographic outcome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baek, Jang Hyun; Kim, Byung Moon [Dept. of Radiology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-06-15

Symptomatic vertebral artery (VA) stenosis associated with bilateral carotid rate mirabile (CRM) has not been reported. We report the long-term clinical and angiographic outcome after stenting for symptomatic VA stenosis in the patient with bilateral CRM. This report is the first case that symptomatic VA stenosis associated with bilateral CRM was treated with stenting.

Stenting for symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis associated with bilateral carotid rate mirabile: The long-term clinical and angiographic outcome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baek, Jang Hyun; Kim, Byung Moon

2015-01-01

Symptomatic vertebral artery (VA) stenosis associated with bilateral carotid rate mirabile (CRM) has not been reported. We report the long-term clinical and angiographic outcome after stenting for symptomatic VA stenosis in the patient with bilateral CRM. This report is the first case that symptomatic VA stenosis associated with bilateral CRM was treated with stenting.

Selective expansion of influenza a virus-specific T cells in symptomatic human carotid artery atherosclerotic plaques

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keller, Tymen T.; van der Meer, Jelger J.; Teeling, Peter; van der Sluijs, Koen; Idu, Mirza M.; Rimmelzwaan, Guus F.; Levi, Marcel; van der Wal, Allard C.; de Boer, Onno J.

2008-01-01

Background and Purpose-Evidence is accumulating that infection with influenza A virus contributes to atherothrombotic disease. Vaccination against influenza decreases the risk of atherosclerotic syndromes, indicating that inflammatory mechanisms may be involved. We tested the hypothesis that

Digital Image Analysis of Ultrasound B-mode images of Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque: Correlation with Histological Examination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wilhjelm, Jens E.; Rosendal, Kim; Grønholdt, Marie-Louise Moes

1996-01-01

This paper reports on a study of how well texture features extracted from B-mode images of atherosclerotic plaque correlates with histological results obtained from the same plaque after carotid endarterectomy. The study reveals that a few second order texture features (diagonal moment, standard...... deviation and autocorrelation) provide good correlation within the training set (p = 0.04); However, the correlation found so far is not so high, that the method can be used in clinical prediction of plaque constituents....

Echo-lucency of computerized ultrasound images of carotid atherosclerotic plaques are associated with increased levels of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins as well as increased plaque lipid content

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grønholdt, Marie-Louise Moes; Nordestgaard, Børge G.; Weibe, Brit M.

1998-01-01

carotid plaque echo-lucency and that echo-lucency predicts a high plaque lipid content. Methods and Results-The study included 137 patients with neurological symptoms and greater than or equal to 50% stenosis of the relevant carotid artery, High-resolution B-mode ultrasound images of carotid plaques were......Background-Echo-lucency of carotid atherosclerotic plaques on computerized ultrasound B-mode images has been associated with a high incidence of brain infarcts as evaluated on CT scans. We tested the hypotheses that triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in the fasting and postprandial state predict...

Intraplaque stretch in carotid atherosclerotic plaque--an effective biomechanical predictor for subsequent cerebrovascular ischemic events.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhongzhao Teng

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Stretch is a mechanical parameter, which has been proposed previously to affect the biological activities in different tissues. This study explored its utility in determining plaque vulnerability. METHODS: One hundred and six patients with mild to moderate carotid stenosis were recruited in this study (53 symptomatic and 53 asymptomatic. High resolution, multi-sequence magnetic resonance (MR imaging was performed to delineate various plaque components. Finite element method was used to predict high stretch concentration within the plaque. RESULTS: During a two-year follow-up, 11 patients in symptomatic group and 3 in asymptomatic group experienced recurrent cerebrovascular events. Plaque stretch at systole and stretch variation during one cardiac cycle was greater in symptomatic group than those in the asymptomatic. Within the symptomatic group, a similar trend was observed in patients with recurrent events compared to those without. CONCLUSION: Plaques with high stretch concentration and large stretch variation are associated with increased risk of future cerebrovascular events.

Matrix metalloproteinase-2 of human carotid atherosclerotic plaques promotes platelet activation. Correlation with ischaemic events.

Science.gov (United States)

Lenti, Massimo; Falcinelli, Emanuela; Pompili, Marcella; de Rango, Paola; Conti, Valentina; Guglielmini, Giuseppe; Momi, Stefania; Corazzi, Teresa; Giordano, Giuseppe; Gresele, Paolo

2014-06-01

Purified active matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) is able to promote platelet aggregation. We aimed to assess the role of MMP-2 expressed in atherosclerotic plaques in the platelet-activating potential of human carotid plaques and its correlation with ischaemic events. Carotid plaques from 81 patients undergoing endarterectomy were tested for pro-MMP-2 and TIMP-2 content by zymography and ELISA. Plaque extracts were incubated with gel-filtered platelets from healthy volunteers for 2 minutes before the addition of a subthreshold concentration of thrombin receptor activating peptide-6 (TRAP-6) and aggregation was assessed. Moreover, platelet deposition on plaque extracts immobilised on plastic coverslips under high shear-rate flow conditions was measured. Forty-three plaque extracts (53%) potentiated platelet aggregation (+233 ± 26.8%), an effect prevented by three different specific MMP-2 inhibitors (inhibitor II, TIMP-2, moAb anti-MMP-2). The pro-MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio of plaques potentiating platelet aggregation was significantly higher than that of plaques not potentiating it (3.67 ± 1.21 vs 1.01 ± 0.43, p<0.05). Moreover, the platelet aggregation-potentiating effect, the active-MMP-2 content and the active MMP-2/pro-MMP-2 ratio of plaque extracts were significantly higher in plaques from patients who developed a subsequent major cardiovascular event. In conclusion, atherosclerotic plaques exert a prothrombotic effect by potentiating platelet activation due to their content of MMP-2; an elevated MMP-2 activity in plaques is associated with a higher rate of subsequent ischaemic cerebrovascular events.

Quantitative T1 and T2* carotid atherosclerotic plaque imaging using a three-dimensional multi-echo phase-sensitive inversion recovery sequence: a feasibility study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujiwara, Yasuhiro; Maruyama, Hirotoshi; Toyomaru, Kanako; Nishizaka, Yuri; Fukamatsu, Masahiro

2018-06-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used to detect carotid atherosclerotic plaques. Although it is important to evaluate vulnerable carotid plaques containing lipids and intra-plaque hemorrhages (IPHs) using T 1 -weighted images, the image contrast changes depending on the imaging settings. Moreover, to distinguish between a thrombus and a hemorrhage, it is useful to evaluate the iron content of the plaque using both T 1 -weighted and T 2 *-weighted images. Therefore, a quantitative evaluation of carotid atherosclerotic plaques using T 1 and T 2 * values may be necessary for the accurate evaluation of plaque components. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the multi-echo phase-sensitive inversion recovery (mPSIR) sequence can improve T 1 contrast while simultaneously providing accurate T 1 and T 2 * values of an IPH. T 1 and T 2 * values measured using mPSIR were compared to values from conventional methods in phantom and in vivo studies. In the phantom study, the T 1 and T 2 * values estimated using mPSIR were linearly correlated with those of conventional methods. In the in vivo study, mPSIR demonstrated higher T 1 contrast between the IPH phantom and sternocleidomastoid muscle than the conventional method. Moreover, the T 1 and T 2 * values of the blood vessel wall and sternocleidomastoid muscle estimated using mPSIR were correlated with values measured by conventional methods and with values reported previously. The mPSIR sequence improved T 1 contrast while simultaneously providing accurate T 1 and T 2 * values of the neck region. Although further study is required to evaluate the clinical utility, mPSIR may improve carotid atherosclerotic plaque detection and provide detailed information about plaque components.

High titer of anti-citrullinated peptide antibody is a risk factor for severe carotid atherosclerotic plaque in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: the TOMORROW study.

Science.gov (United States)

Okano, Tadashi; Inui, Kentaro; Sugioka, Yuko; Sugioka, Kenichi; Matsumura, Yoshiki; Takahashi, Shinji; Tada, Masahiro; Mamoto, Kenji; Wakitani, Shigeyuki; Koike, Tatsuya; Nakamura, Hiroaki

2017-08-01

Cardiovascular disease is one of the complications of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We researched the morbidity and severity of existing carotid atherosclerosis plaque and associated risk factors in patients with RA. This study included 413 participants, including 208 patients with RA and 205 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. Carotid ultrasound, clinical data collection and assessment of cardiovascular risk factors were performed. Atherosclerotic plaque was defined as an intima-media thickness ≥ 1.1 mm. Severity of plaque was assessed by plaque score, defined as the sum of the maximal thickness of all plaques in bilateral carotid arteries. Data were analyzed from 200 patients with RA and 202 controls. Carotid plaque was observed more frequently in patients with RA than controls (47.0 vs. 36.1%, P = 0.027). Moreover, plaque score was significantly higher in RA patients (P = 0.032). In logistic regression analysis, RA represented an independent risk factor for the presence of plaque (adjusted odds ratio, 1.68; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-2.74). Comparing RA patients with and without plaque, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies titer was significantly higher in patients with plaque (315.8 ± 454.1 U/mL) than in patients without (165.7 ± 281.1 U/mL; P = 0.005). Moreover, multiple linear regression analysis clarified that anti-CCP antibody titer was associated with plaque score in patients with RA. High prevalence of any carotid plaques and severe carotid plaques were more frequent in patients with RA. High titer of anti-CCP antibodies represented a risk factor for severe carotid atherosclerotic plaque in patients with RA. © 2017 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

An unfavorable dietary pattern is associated with symptomatic ischemic stroke and carotid atherosclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahe, Guillaume; Ronziere, Thomas; Laviolle, Bruno; Golfier, Véronique; Cochery, Thomas; De Bray, Jean-Michel; Paillard, François

2010-07-01

Ischemic strokes represent more than 80% of total strokes in Western countries. The influence of dietary factors on ischemic stroke risk is debated mainly because available data are limited. Our objective was to compare the dietary pattern of symptomatic ischemic stroke patients under 65 years old with control subjects using a validated 14-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We also compared symptomatic ischemic stroke patients with carotid atherosclerosis with those without according to the presence or the absence of carotid plaque defined by duplex scanning. This was a case-control multi-center study that took place in one University hospital and two general hospitals in France. One hundred twenty-four symptomatic ischemic stroke patients (confirmation by a neurologist and imaging; 66% smokers) and 50 controls (34% smokers) without any known cardiovascular disease or previous nutritional advice were included. The main outcome measure(s) were intake scores for saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), Omega-3 polyunsaturated (Omega-3 PUFA), and Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega-6PUFA). Fruit and vegetables and an overall cardiovascular dietary score were evaluated with the FFQ. The overall cardiovascular score is calculated as (MUFA + Omega-3 PUFA + fruits and vegetables) - (SFA) scores. Compared with controls, ischemic stroke patients had a higher SFA score (6.6 +/- 3.0 vs 4.9 +/- 2.7; P vs 1.5 +/- 1.2; P vs 2.2 +/- 1.5; P = .013), Omega-6PUFA (2.6 +/- 2.5 vs 3.9 +/- 2.7; P = .002), fruit and vegetables (2.9 +/- 1.7 vs 3.8 +/- 1.6; P = .005), and a lower overall dietary score (-1.2 +/- 5.0 vs 2.5 +/- 4.4; P stroke patients with carotid atherosclerosis (n = 54) had a worse overall cardiovascular dietary score than those without (n = 68): -2.2 +/- 4.4 vs -0.2 +/- 5.2; P = .024. Compared with controls, ischemic stroke patients, especially those with carotid atherosclerosis, have an unfavorable dietary pattern (high SFA, low fruit and vegetables, and

Increased platelet count and leucocyte-platelet complex formation in acute symptomatic compared with asymptomatic severe carotid stenosis.

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McCabe, D J H

2005-09-01

The risk of stroke in patients with recently symptomatic carotid stenosis is considerably higher than in patients with asymptomatic stenosis. In the present study it was hypothesised that excessive platelet activation might partly contribute to this difference.

The role of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in risk assessment of carotid atheroma

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Silviu Stanciu

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background and objective: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound, used to assess atherosclerotic carotid plaques, improves visualization of vessel wall irregularities and depicts intraplaque neovascularization. This article illustrates the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the risk assessment of carotid atherosclerotic lesions, especially in challenging plaques evaluation. Materials and methods: For 23 patients with difficult duplex ultrasound examination due to carotid tortuosity or calcifications we assessed plaque morphology (contour, echogenicity and stenosis degree using contrast substance (Sonovue, Braco with dedicated vascular low mechanical index CPC software. Conclusion: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound is a new, noninvasive, and safe procedure for imaging carotid atherosclerotic lesions. It is a valuable tool for evaluating the vulnerable plaque at risk for rupture and for the diagnostic of the development and severity of systemic atherosclerotic disease

The effect of lipid regulation with atorvastatin on the blood lipid levels and carotid artery plaques in patients with atherosclerotic cerebral infarction

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Shu XU

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Objective To analyze the effect of intensive lipid regulation treatment with atorvastatin on the blood lipid levels and carotid artery plaques in patients with atherosclerotic cerebral infarction.  Methods Ninety-two patients with atherosclerotic cerebral infarction were randomly divided into two groups: observation group (treated by atorvastatin calcium with the dosage of 20 mg/d, N = 46 and control group (treated by diet without lipid-rich food, N=46. Besides, other drugs given to the patients in two groups were the same. The blood lipid levels and the changes of carotid artery plaques in two groups were analyzed and compared before treatment and 3 months after treatment. Results After treatment, the concentrations of total cholesterol [TC, (4.23 ± 0.92 mmol/L vs (5.24 ± 0.68 mmol/L], triglyceride [TG, (2.46 ± 0.28 mmol/L vs (3.33 ± 0.47 mmol/L], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C, (2.52 ± 0.38 mmol/L vs (4.78 ± 0.86 mmol/L] in the patients of observation group were all decreased and significantly lower than those in the control group (P = 0.000, for all, and the concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C, (1.13 ± 0.41 mmol/L vs (0.85 ± 0.32 mmol/L] in the patients of observation group was increased and significantly than that in the control group (P = 0.003. The carotid artery plaque size [(20.25 ± 0.32 mm2 vs (24.42 ± 10.33 mm2] and thickness [(0.59 ± 0.13 mm vs (1.93 ± 0.23 mm] of carotid artery plaques and intima?media thickness [IMT, (1.32 ± 0.67 mm vs (1.63 ± 0.56 mm] of common carotid artery (CCA in the patients of observation group were all significantly lower than those in patients in the control group (P = 0.000, 0.000, 0.010, respectively. Comparing serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT, aspartate aminotransferase (AST, creatine kinase (CK and creatinine (Cr levels after treatment with before treatment, there was no significant difference between 2 groups (P > 0.05, for all.  Conclusions

Increased platelet count and reticulated platelets in recently symptomatic versus asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis and in cerebral microembolic signal-negative patient subgroups: results from the HaEmostasis In carotid STenosis (HEIST) study.

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Murphy, S J X; Lim, S T; Kinsella, J A; Murphy, D; Enright, H M; McCabe, Dominick J H

2018-02-23

The pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for the disparity in stroke risk between asymptomatic and symptomatic carotid stenosis patients are not fully understood. The functionally important reticulated platelet fraction and reticulocytes could play a role. We performed a prospective, multi-centre, observational analytical study comparing full blood count parameters and platelet production/turnover/activation markers in patients with asymptomatic versus recently symptomatic moderate (≥ 50-69%) or severe (≥ 70-99%) carotid stenosis. Data from 34 asymptomatic patients were compared with 43 symptomatic patients in the 'early phase' (≤ 4 weeks) and 37 of these patients in the 'late phase' (≥ 3 months) after TIA/ischaemic stroke. Reticulated platelets were quantified by whole blood flow cytometry and reticulated platelets and red cell reticulocytes by 'automated assays' (Sysmex XE-2100™). Bilateral simultaneous transcranial Doppler ultrasound monitoring classified patients as micro-embolic signal (MES)+ve or MES-ve. Mean platelet count was higher in early (216 × 10 9 /L; P = 0.04) and late symptomatic (219 × 10 9 /L; P = 0.044) than asymptomatic patients (194 × 10 9 /L). Mean platelet volume was higher in early symptomatic than asymptomatic patients (10.8 vs. 10.45 fl; P = 0.045). Automated assays revealed higher % reticulated platelet fractions in early (5.78%; P < 0.001) and late symptomatic (5.11%; P = 0.01) than asymptomatic patients (3.48%). Red cell reticulocyte counts were lower in early (0.92%; P = 0.035) and late symptomatic (0.93%; P = 0.036) than asymptomatic patients (1.07%). The automated % reticulated platelet fraction was also higher in early symptomatic than asymptomatic MES-ve patients (5.7 vs. 3.55%; P = 0.001). The combination of increased platelet counts and a shift towards production of an increased population of larger, young, reticulated platelets could contribute to a higher risk of first or recurrent

3D Fiber Orientation in Atherosclerotic Carotid Plaques

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A.C. Akyildiz (Ali); C.-K. Chai (Chen-Ket); C.W.J. Oomens (Cees); A. van der Lugt (Aad); F.P.T. Baaijens (Frank); G.J. Strijkers (Gustav); F.J.H. Gijsen (Frank)

2017-01-01

textabstractAtherosclerotic plaque rupture is the primary trigger of fatal cardiovascular events. Fibrillar collagen in atherosclerotic plaques and their directionality are anticipated to play a crucial role in plaque rupture. This study aimed assessing 3D fiber orientations and architecture in

Cerebral vasomotor reactivity and apnea test in symptomatic and asymptomatic high-grade carotid stenosis

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Lučić-Prokin Aleksandra

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Cerebral vasomotor reactivity (VMR represents an autoregulatory response of the arterial trunks on the specific vasoactive stimuli, most commonly CO2. Objective. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare VMR in high-grade symptomatic (SCAS and asymptomatic carotid stenosis (ACAS, using the apnea test to evaluate the hemodynamic status. Methods. The study included 50 patients who were hospitalized at the neurology and vascular surgery departments as part of preparation for carotid endarterectomy. We evaluated VMR by calculating the breath holding index (BHI in 34 patients with SCAS and 16 patients with ACAS, with isolated high-grade carotid stenosis. We evaluated the impact of risk factors and collateral circulation on BHI, as well as the correlation between the degree of carotid stenosis and BHI. Results. A pathological BHI was more frequent in the SCAS group (p<0.01. There was no difference in the range of BHI values between the groups, both ipsilaterally and contralaterally. Only male gender was associated with pathological BHI in both groups (p<0.05. Collateral circulation did not exist in over 60% of all subjects. We confirmed a negative correlation between the degree of carotid stenosis and BHI. Conclusion. SCAS and ACAS patients present with different hemodynamics. While ACAS patients have stable hemodynamics, combination of hemodynamic and thromboembolic effects is characteristic of SCAS patients.

Fatty Acid binding protein 4 is associated with carotid atherosclerosis and outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

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Sverre Holm

Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4 has been shown to play an important role in macrophage cholesterol trafficking and associated inflammation. To further elucidate the role of FABP4 in atherogenesis in humans, we examined the regulation of FABP4 in carotid atherosclerosis and ischemic stroke. METHODS: We examined plasma FABP4 levels in asymptomatic (n = 28 and symptomatic (n = 31 patients with carotid atherosclerosis, as well as in 202 subjects with acute ischemic stroke. In a subgroup of patients we also analysed the expression of FABP4 within the atherosclerotic lesion. In addition, we investigated the ability of different stimuli with relevance to atherosclerosis to regulate FABP4 expression in monocytes/macrophages. RESULTS: FABP4 levels were higher in patients with carotid atherosclerosis, both systemically and within the atherosclerotic lesion, with particular high mRNA levels in carotid plaques from patients with the most recent symptoms. Immunostaining of carotid plaques localized FABP4 to macrophages, while activated platelets and oxidized LDL were potent stimuli for FABP4 expression in monocytes/macrophages in vitro. When measured at the time of acute ischemic stroke, high plasma levels of FABP4 were significantly associated with total and cardiovascular mortality during follow-up, although we did not find that addition of FABP4 to the fully adjusted multivariate model had an effect on the prognostic discrimination for all-cause mortality as assessed by c-statistics. CONCLUSIONS: FABP4 is linked to atherogenesis, plaque instability and adverse outcome in patients with carotid atherosclerosis and acute ischemic stroke.

Enterprise stent for the treatment of symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis: an initial experience of 44 patients.

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Feng, Zhengzhe; Duan, Guoli; Zhang, Ping; Chen, Lei; Xu, Yi; Hong, Bo; Zhao, Wenyuan; Liu, Jianmin; Huang, Qinghai

2015-10-08

Wingspan stenting for the treatment of complex intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS), i.e., that involving tortuous vascular pathways, long (>15 mm) lesions or arterial bifurcations, has a relatively high risk of complications. This retrospective study assessed the safety and efficacy of undersized balloon angioplasty followed by deployment of the more flexible Enterprise stent for the treatment of complex symptomatic ICAS. Forty-four patients on combined antiplatelet therapy and intensive risk factor management and a symptomatic 70-99% stenosis of a major intracranial artery in complex settings that was treated with balloon angioplasty and Enterprise stent deployment between July 2009 and August 2013 were enrolled. Primary outcome was occurrence of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke or death within 30 days after intervention. Secondary outcomes included procedural success (defined as achievement of 50% in-stent restenosis after mean 22 months follow-up. In this retrospective, single-center experience, undersized balloon angioplasty followed by Enterprise stent deployment appears technically feasible with a relatively low rate of complications for the treatment of complex symptomatic ICAS. Prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trials against optimal medical management are warranted.

Risk of Stroke or Death Is Associated With the Timing of Carotid Artery Stenting for Symptomatic Carotid Stenosis: A Secondary Data Analysis of the German Statutory Quality Assurance Database.

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Tsantilas, Pavlos; Kuehnl, Andreas; Kallmayer, Michael; Knappich, Christoph; Schmid, Sofie; Breitkreuz, Thorben; Zimmermann, Alexander; Eckstein, Hans-Henning

2018-03-27

Subgroup analyses from randomized trials indicate that the time interval between the neurologic index event and carotid artery stenting is associated with periprocedural stroke and death rates in patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis. The aim of this article is to analyze whether this observation holds true under routine conditions in Germany. Secondary data analysis was done on 4717 elective carotid artery stenting procedures that were performed for symptomatic carotid stenosis. The patient cohort was divided into 4 groups according to the time interval between the index event and intervention (group I 0-2, II 3-7, III 8-14, and IV 15-180 days). Primary outcome was any in-hospital stroke or death. For risk-adjusted analyses, a multilevel multivariable regression model was used. The in-hospital stroke or death rate was 3.7% in total and 6.0%, 4.4%, 2.4%, and 3.0% in groups I, II, III, and IV, respectively. Adjusted analysis showed a decreased risk for any stroke or death in group III, a decreased risk for any major stroke or death in groups III and IV, and a decreased risk for any death in groups II and III compared to the reference group I. A short time interval between the neurologic index event and carotid artery stenting of up to 7 days is associated with an increased risk for stroke or death under routine conditions in Germany. Although results cannot prove causal relationships, carotid artery stenting may be accompanied by an increased risk of stroke or death during the early period after the index event. © 2018 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

[Revascularization of the carotid and vertebral arteries in the elderly].

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Illuminati, G; Bezzi, M; D'Urso, A; Giacobbi, D; Ceccanei, G; Vietri, F

2004-01-01

From January 1994 to July 2004, 323 patients underwent 348 revascularization of carotid bifurcation for atherosclerotic stenoses. Eighty eight patients (group A) were 75 year-old or older, whereas 235 (group B) were younger than 75 years. Postoperative mortality/neurologic morbidity rate was 1% in group A, and 1.4% in group B. At 5 years, patency and freedom from symptoms/stroke were, respectively, 91% and 92% in group A, and 89% and 91% in group B. None of these differences was statistically significant. In the same time period, 26 internal carotid arteries were revascularized in 24 patients, 75 or more aged, for a symptomatic kinking. Postoperative mortality/morbidity rate was absent, whereas, at 5 years, patency and freedom from symptoms/stroke were, respectively, 88% and 92%. Twelve vertebral arteries were revascularized in 12 patients, 75 or more aged, for invalidating symptoms of vertebrobasilar insufficiency. Postoperative mortality/neurologic morbidity rate was absent. In one case postoperative recurrence of symptoms occurred, despite a patent revascularization. Patency and freedom from symptoms/stroke were 84% and 75%, at 5 years. Revascularization of carotid and vertebral arteries in the elderly can be accomplished with good results, superposable to those of standard revascularization of carotid bifurcation in a younger patients' population.

High-grade symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid stenosis in the very elderly. A challenge for proponents of carotid angioplasty and stenting

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De Rossi Aldo

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS is often considered as the preferred treatment for severe carotid occlusive disease in patients labelled as "high risk", including those aged 80 or more. We analyzed 30-day stroke risk and death rates after carotid endarterectomy (CEA for severe symptomatic or asymptomatic carotid disease in patients aged 80 or more, by comparison with the outcome of CAS reported in the recently- published literature. Methods A retrospective review was conducted on a prospectively compiled computerized database of all primary CEAs performed by a single surgeon at our institution from 1990 to 2003. Descriptive demographic data, risk factors, surgical details, perioperative strokes and deaths, and other complications were recorded. Results In all, 1260 CEAs were performed in 1099 patients; 1145 were performed in 987 patients less than 80 years old, and 115 were performed in 112 patients aged 80 or more. There were 11 perioperative strokes in the 1145 procedures in the younger group, for a stroke rate of 0.8%, and no strokes in the 115 procedures in the older group. The death rates were 0% for the octogenarians and 0.3% for the younger group. Conclusion The conviction that older age means higher risk needs to be revised. Patients aged 80 or more can undergo CEA with no more perioperative risks than younger patients. Proponents of CAS should bear this in mind before recommending CAS as the best therapeutic option for such patients.

Experiences with carotid endarterectomy at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute

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Unnikrishnan Madathipat

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Atherosclerotic carotid artery disease poses a grave threat to cerebral circulation, leading to a stroke with its devastating sequelae, if left untreated. Carotid endarterectomy has a proven track record with compelling evidence in stroke prevention. Objectives: aTo confirm that carotid endarterectomy (CEA is safe and effective in preventing stroke at both short and long term. b to demonstrate long term patency of internal carotid artery when arteriotomy repair is performed using autologous saphenous vein patch. Materials and Methods: During ten years, from September 1997 to February 2008, thirty nine patients who underwent consecutive carotid endarterectomy at our institute, form the basis of this report. Their age ranged from thirty to seventy eight years, with a mean age of 56. There were four women in this cohort. Thirty seven patients were symptomatic with> 70% stenosis and two were asymptomatic with> 80% stenosis, incidentally detected. Imaging included Duplex scan and MRA for carotid territory and brain, and non-invasive cardiac assessment. Co-morbidities included smoking, hypertension, diabetes, and coronary artery disease. Carotid Endarterectomy was performed under general anaesthesia, using carotid shunt and vein patch arteriotomy repair. Results: All the patients made satisfactory recovery, without major adverse cerebral events in this series. Morbidities included Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA in two, needing only medications in one, and carotid stenting in the other. Minor morbidities included neck hematoma in two and transient hypoglossal paresis in three patients. Yearly follow-up included duplex scan assessment for all the patients. Two patients died of contralateral stroke, two of myocardial events and two were lost to follow up. Thirty three patients are well and free of the disease during the follow up of three to 120 months. Conclusion: Carotid endarterectomy provided near total freedom from adverse cerebral

Neovascularization in Vertebral Artery Atheroma-A Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Comparative Study in Patients with Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Disease.

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Usman, Ammara; Yuan, Jianmin; Patterson, Andrew J; Graves, Martin J; Varty, Kevin; Sadat, Umar; Gillard, Jonathan H

2018-05-24

Atherosclerosis is a systemic inflammatory disease intertwined with neovascularization. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) enables the assessment of plaque neovascularization. This study aimed to explore the systemic nature of atherosclerosis by assessing difference in severity of neovascularization as quantified by DCE-MRI of vertebral arteries (VAs) between patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery disease. Ten consecutive patients with asymptomatic VA stenosis and concomitant symptomatic carotid artery disease (group 1) and 10 consecutive patients with asymptomatic VA stenosis and concomitant asymptomatic carotid artery disease (group 2) underwent 3-dimensional DCE-MRI of their cervical segment of VAs. A previously validated pharmacokinetic modeling approach was used for DCE-MRI analysis. K trans was calculated in the adventitia and plaque as a measure of neovessel permeability. Both patient groups were comparable for demographics and comorbidities. Mean luminal stenosis was comparable for both groups (54.4% versus 52.27%, P = .32). Group 1 had higher adventitial K trans and plaque K trans (.08 ± .01 min -1 , .07 ± .01 min -1 ) compared with Group 2 (.06 ± .01 min -1 , .06 ± .01 min -1 ) (P = .004 and .03, respectively). Good correlation was present among the two image analysts (intraclass correlation coefficient = .78). Vertebral Artery atheroma of patients with symptomatic carotid artery disease had increased neovessel permeability compared with the patients with asymptomatic carotid artery disease. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that atherosclerosis is a systemic inflammatory disease. The VA atherosclerosis is likely to have increased severity of neovascularization if another arterial territory is symptomatic in the same patient cohort. Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of healing following atherosclerotic carotid plaque rupture in acutely symptomatic patients: an exploratory study using in vivo cardiovascular magnetic resonance

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Young Victoria E

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Carotid plaque rupture, characterized by ruptured fibrous cap (FC, is associated with subsequent cerebrovascular events. However, ruptured FC may heal following stroke and convey decreased risk of future events. This study aims to characterize the healing process of ruptured FC by assessing the lumen conditions, quantified by the lumen curvature and roughness, using in vivo carotid cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR. Methods Patients suffering from transient ischemic attack underwent high resolution carotid MR imaging within 72 hours of the acute cerebrovascular ischemic event. CMR imaging was repeated at 3 and 12 months in 26 patients, in whom FC rupture/erosion was observed on baseline images and subsequent cerebrovascular events were recorded during the follow-up period. Lumen curvature and roughness were quantified from carotid CMR images and changes in these values were monitored on follow-up imaging. Results Healing of ruptured plaque was observed in patients (23 out of 26 without any ischemic symptom recurrence as shown by the lumen surface becoming smoother during the follow-up period, characterized by decreasing maximum lumen curvature (p Conclusions Carotid plaque healing can be assessed by quantification of the lumen curvature and roughness and the incidence of recurrent cerebrovascular events may be high in plaques that do not heal with time. The assessment of plaque healing may facilitate risk stratification of recent stroke patients on the basis of CMR results.

PLACD-7T Study: Atherosclerotic Carotid Plaque Components Correlated with Cerebral Damage at 7 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

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den Hartog, A G; Bovens, S M; Koning, W; Hendrikse, J; Pasterkamp, G; Moll, F L; de Borst, G J

2011-02-01

In patients with carotid artery stenosis histological plaque composition is associated with plaque stability and with presenting symptomatology. Preferentially, plaque vulnerability should be taken into account in pre-operative work-up of patients with severe carotid artery stenosis. However, currently no appropriate and conclusive (non-) invasive technique to differentiate between the high and low risk carotid artery plaque in vivo is available. We propose that 7 Tesla human high resolution MRI scanning will visualize carotid plaque characteristics more precisely and will enable correlation of these specific components with cerebral damage. The aim of the PlaCD-7T study is 1: to correlate 7T imaging with carotid plaque histology (gold standard); and 2: to correlate plaque characteristics with cerebral damage ((clinically silent) cerebral (micro) infarcts or bleeds) on 7 Tesla high resolution (HR) MRI. We propose a single center prospective study for either symptomatic or asymptomatic patients with haemodynamic significant (70%) stenosis of at least one of the carotid arteries. The Athero-Express (AE) biobank histological analysis will be derived according to standard protocol. Patients included in the AE and our prospective study will undergo a pre-operative 7 Tesla HR-MRI scan of both the head and neck area. We hypothesize that the 7 Tesla MRI scanner will allow early identification of high risk carotid plaques being associated with micro infarcted cerebral areas, and will thus be able to identify patients with a high risk of periprocedural stroke, by identification of surrogate measures of increased cardiovascular risk.

PLACD-7T Study: Atherosclerotic Carotid Plaque Components Correlated with Cerebral Damage at 7 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging

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den Hartog, A.G; Bovens, S.M; Koning, W; Hendrikse, J; Pasterkamp, G; Moll, F.L; de Borst, G.J

2011-01-01

Introduction: In patients with carotid artery stenosis histological plaque composition is associated with plaque stability and with presenting symptomatology. Preferentially, plaque vulnerability should be taken into account in pre-operative work-up of patients with severe carotid artery stenosis. However, currently no appropriate and conclusive (non-) invasive technique to differentiate between the high and low risk carotid artery plaque in vivo is available. We propose that 7 Tesla human high resolution MRI scanning will visualize carotid plaque characteristics more precisely and will enable correlation of these specific components with cerebral damage. Study objective: The aim of the PlaCD-7T study is 1: to correlate 7T imaging with carotid plaque histology (gold standard); and 2: to correlate plaque characteristics with cerebral damage ((clinically silent) cerebral (micro) infarcts or bleeds) on 7 Tesla high resolution (HR) MRI. Design: We propose a single center prospective study for either symptomatic or asymptomatic patients with haemodynamic significant (70%) stenosis of at least one of the carotid arteries. The Athero-Express (AE) biobank histological analysis will be derived according to standard protocol. Patients included in the AE and our prospective study will undergo a pre-operative 7 Tesla HR-MRI scan of both the head and neck area. Discussion: We hypothesize that the 7 Tesla MRI scanner will allow early identification of high risk carotid plaques being associated with micro infarcted cerebral areas, and will thus be able to identify patients with a high risk of periprocedural stroke, by identification of surrogate measures of increased cardiovascular risk. PMID:22294972

Increased platelet reactivity is associated with circulating platelet-monocyte complexes and macrophages in human atherosclerotic plaques.

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Bert Rutten

Full Text Available Platelet reactivity, platelet binding to monocytes and monocyte infiltration play a detrimental role in atherosclerotic plaque progression. We investigated whether platelet reactivity was associated with levels of circulating platelet-monocyte complexes (PMCs and macrophages in human atherosclerotic carotid plaques.Platelet reactivity was determined by measuring platelet P-selectin expression after platelet stimulation with increasing concentrations of adenosine diphosphate (ADP, in two independent cohorts: the Circulating Cells cohort (n = 244 and the Athero-Express cohort (n = 91. Levels of PMCs were assessed by flow cytometry in blood samples of patients who were scheduled for percutaneous coronary intervention (Circulating Cells cohort. Monocyte infiltration was semi-quantitatively determined by histological examination of atherosclerotic carotid plaques collected during carotid endarterectomy (Athero-Express cohort.We found increased platelet reactivity in patients with high PMCs as compared to patients with low PMCs (median (interquartile range: 4153 (1585-11267 area under the curve (AUC vs. 9633 (3580-21565 AUC, P<0.001. Also, we observed increased platelet reactivity in patients with high macrophage levels in atherosclerotic plaques as compared to patients with low macrophage levels in atherosclerotic plaques (mean ± SD; 8969 ± 3485 AUC vs. 7020 ± 3442 AUC, P = 0.02. All associations remained significant after adjustment for age, sex and use of drugs against platelet activation.Platelet reactivity towards ADP is associated with levels of PMCs and macrophages in human atherosclerotic carotid plaques.

MR plaque imaging of the carotid artery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Yuji; Nagayama, Masako

2010-01-01

Atherosclerotic carotid plaque represents a major cause of cerebral ischemia. The detection of vulnerable plaque is important for preventing future cardiovascular events. The key factors in advanced plaque that are most likely to lead to patient complications are the condition of the fibrous cap, the size of the necrotic core and hemorrhage, and the extent of inflammatory activity within the plaque. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has excellent soft tissue contrast and can allow for a more accurate and objective estimation of carotid wall morphology and plaque composition. Recent advances in MR imaging techniques have permitted serial monitoring of atherosclerotic disease evolution and the identification of intraplaque risk factors for accelerated progression. The purpose of this review article is to review the current state of techniques of carotid wall MR imaging and the characterization of plaque components and surface morphology with MR imaging, and to describe the clinical practice of carotid wall MR imaging for the determination of treatment plan. (orig.)

Carotid cavernous fistula after elective carotid endarterectomy: Case report

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Andres Asser

2014-12-01

This is a case to illustrate a rare complication of carotid artery surgery. The patient had atherosclerotic vessel damage of ICA visible on earlier CT scans. This combined with abrupt increase of transmural pressure due to the revascularization procedure could possibly lead to arterial wall rupture and fistula formation.

Ultrasonographic analysis versus histopathologic evaluation of carotid advanced atherosclerotic stenosis in an experimental rabbit model.

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Mehrad, Hossein; Mokhtari-Dizaji, Manijhe; Ghanaati, Hossein; Shahbazfar, Amir-Ali; Salehnia, Mojdeh

2012-08-01

Advanced carotid atherosclerosis with severe stenosis (>70%) is a major clinical risk factor for ischemic stroke. Our ability to test new protocols for the treatment of atherosclerotic stenosis in humans is limited for obvious ethical reasons; therefore, a suitable animal model is required. The aim of this study was to generate an easily reproducible and inexpensive experimental rabbit carotid model of advanced atherosclerosis with morphological similarities to the human disease and the subsequent assessment of the reliability of B-mode ultrasound technology in the study of lumen area stenosis in this model. Briefly, New Zealand white rabbits underwent primary perivascular cold injury at the right common carotid artery followed by a 1.5% cholesterol-rich diet injury for eight weeks. All of the rabbits' arteries were imaged by B-mode ultrasound weekly, after which the rabbits were sacrificed, and their vessels were processed for histopathology. Ultrasound longitudinal view images from three cardiac cycles were processed by a new computerized analyzing method based on dynamic programming and maximum gradient algorithm for measurement of instantaneous changes in arterial wall thickness and lumen diameter in sequential ultrasound images. Histopathology results showed progressive changes, from the lipid-laden cells and fibrous connective tissue proliferation in neointimal layer, up to the fibro-lipid plaque formation, resulting in vessel wall thickening, remodeling and lumen stenosis. The B-mode ultrasound images and the histologic measurements showed an increase in the mean wall thickness and the lumen area stenosis within eight weeks. Quantitative and morphometric analysis of the mean wall thickness and the lumen area stenosis percentage showed a significant correlation between the B-mode ultrasound and the histological measurements at each time point (R = 0.989 and R = 0.995, p < 0.05, respectively). In conclusion, we successfully produced advanced atherosclerosis in

Carotid Artery Stenting and Endarterectomy: a clinical evaluation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.M. Hendriks (Joke)

2011-01-01

textabstractStroke is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the western world. Atherosclerotic disease of the carotid arteries is in approximately 25% of the cases responsible for the cerebral infarction.1 Since NASCET and ECST, carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is considered the standard treatment

Outcomes of emergent carotid artery stenting within 6 hours of symptom onset in patients with acute ischemic stroke

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Won Gi; Yoon, Woong; Yim, Nam Yeol; Jung, Min Young; Jung, Se Hee; Kang, Heoung Keun

2013-01-01

To investigate clinical outcomes following the emergent carotid artery stenting for treatment of acute ischemic stroke. Twenty-eight consecutive patients with acute stroke due to atherosclerotic steno-occlusive diseases of extracranial internal carotid artery underwent emergent carotid artery stenting. Of these, 23 patients had tandem intracranial arterial occlusions. Extracranial carotid stenting was successful in all patients. From the 13 patients who underwent intracranial recanalization procedures, successful recanalization occurred in 84.6% (11/13). 57% of patients (16/28) had a good clinical outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0-2) after 3 months. Patients with successful intracranial/extracranial recanalization had a significantly higher rate of good outcome than those without recanalization after 3 months (75% vs. 33%, p = 0.027). Patients without intracranial tandem occlusions had a more favorable clinical outcome than those with intracranial tandem occlusions (100% vs. 48%, p = 0.033). Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in one patient (3.6%). Mortality rate was 0% (0/28) after 3 months. Emergent carotid artery stenting in setting of acute stroke was a safe and effective treatment modality. Successful recanalization (extracranial and intracranial) and absence of intracranial tandem occlusion are significantly associated with a good outcome for our cohort of patients whom undergone emergent carotid artery stenting.

Current Approaches for Carotid Endarterectomy

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Cengiz Köksal

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Permanent neurologic injuries and death following stroke, necessitates more vigorous treatment of carotid disease. Carotid stenting and carotid endarterectomy are treatment options in many centers besides medical treatment. Whether the patient is symptomatic or asymtomatic, indications and management strategies for treatment remain controversial. Despite the debate, carotid endarterectomy is still accepted to be the most efficientintervention to decrease risk of stroke due to carotid artery stenosis.

Diagnosing extracranial atherosclerotic diseases with spiral CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moran, C.J.; Vannier, M.W.; Erickson, K.K.; Broderick, D.F.; Kido, D.K.; Yoffie, R.L.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that this discovery study was performed to determine whether extracranial carotid artery plaques could be diagnosed with a new CT technique (spiral CT) that allows nondistorted three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions in the z axis. Twenty carotid arteries were examined with spiral CT in normal volunteers and in patients suspected of having atherosclerotic plaques in the extracranial carotid arteries. The Somatom Plus CT table was advanced at a constant rate, the x-ray tube was continuously rotated, and 3D data were continuously acquired. Sixty milliliters of nonionic contrast medium was injected intravenously previous to and during the acquisition of data. The carotid bifurcations were identified in all patients. Planar images, similar to conventional intraarterial angiograms, were routinely produced from the volumetric CT data

The effect of interleukin and matrix metalloproteinase on the vulnerability of carotid atherosclerotic plaque and cerebral infarction

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HUANG Yan

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Objective To investigate the relationship of IL-17, IL-10 and MMP-12 with the vulnerability of carotid atherosclerotic plaque and cerebral infarction. Methods According to clinical stroke event 70 carotid atherosclersis patients were divided into asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis (ACAS group (n = 35 and acute atherosclerotic cerebral infarction (AACI group (n = 35. The patients were also divided into vulnerable plague (VP group (n = 38 and unvulnerable plague (UVP group (n = 32 by color ultrasonic technique. Normal control group (n = 35 was established. The plasma levels of cytokines were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. Results Compared with the control group, the concentrations of IL-17, IL-10 and MMP-12 in ACAS group and AACI group were significantly elevated (P = 0.000; P = 0.000, moreover, the concentrations of IL-17 and MMP-12 in AACI group were higher than those in ACAS group (P = 0.000; P = 0.002, respectively. In AACI group, the level of IL-10 was lower than the ACAS group and control group (P = 0.000, for all, whereas, no significant difference of IL-10 level was seen between ACAS group and control group (P = 0.275. In VP group, the concentrations of IL-17 and MMP-12 were higher than those in UVP group (P = 0.000 and 0.014, respectively. In VP group, the level of IL-10 was lower than that in UVP group and control group (P = 0.000, for all, but no significant difference of IL-10 level was seen between UVP group and control group (P = 0.742. Correlation analysis showed, the level of IL-17 was positively correlated with the level of MMP-12 (r = 0.640, P = 0.000, and was negatively correlated with the level of IL-10 (r =-0.430, P = 0.000. The level of MMP-12 was weakly negatively correlated with the level of IL-10 (r =-0.242, P = 0.013. Conclusion IL-17, IL-10 and MMP-12 all participate the pathological process of atherosclerosis and cerebral infarction. The elevated IL-17 and MMP-12 levels and decreased IL-10 level

Stroke prevention-surgical and interventional approaches to carotid stenosis

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Kumar Rajamani

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Extra cranial carotid artery stenosis is an important cause of stroke, which often needs treatment with carotid revascularization. To prevent stroke recurrence, carotid endarterectomy (CEA has been well-established for several decades for symptomatic high and moderate grade stenosis. Carotid stenting is a less invasive alternative to CEA and several recent trials have compared the efficacy of the 2 procedures in patients with carotid stenosis. Carotid artery stenting has emerged as a potential mode of therapy for high surgical risk patients with symptomatic high-grade stenosis. This review focuses on the current data available that will enable the clinician to decide optimal treatment strategies for patients with carotid stenosis.

Treatment of a symptomatic intrathoracic internal carotid artery

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Christopher R. Brown

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Intrathoracic common carotid artery bifurcations are an anatomic anomaly with such rarity that only six cases have been reported to date. The true incidence of and preferred treatment options for a diseased intrathoracic common carotid artery bifurcation or internal carotid artery (ICA have not been clearly described. This case report describes a 72-year-old man who experienced a postoperative right hemispheric stoke after an aortic valve replacement, radiofrequency maze procedure, and left atrial appendage clip. Postoperative cerebrovascular evaluation revealed a severely diseased intrathoracic ICA that was treated by ligation of the diseased proximal ICA and transposition of the distal ICA to the disease-free external carotid artery. The patient provided written consent to present the history, data, and images in this manuscript.

Carotid Ultrasound for Assessment of Nonobstructive Carotid Atherosclerosis in Young Adults with Cryptogenic Stroke.

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Buon, Raphael; Guidolin, Brigitte; Jaffre, Aude; Lafuma, Marie; Barbieux, Marianne; Nasr, Nathalie; Larrue, Vincent

2018-05-01

The role of nonobstructive (young adults with ischemic stroke is not well understood. In the present study, we investigated the prevalence and the ultrasonic characteristics of NOCA in a consecutive series of young adults with cryptogenic stroke (CS). Patients aged 18-54, consecutively treated in a tertiary hospital for first-ever CS (defined as an ischemic stroke without ASCOD (A: atherosclerosis; S: small-vessel disease; C: cardiac pathology; O: other causes) grade 1 potential cause) in the carotid artery territory, were prospectively enrolled. NOCA was assessed using carotid duplex ultrasonography. Of 148 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke, 70 had CS, including 44 patients with carotid CS. NOCA was found in 22 of 44 (50%) patients. All but 1 plaque were echolucent. NOCA was bilateral in 15 patients and unilateral in 7 patients. All unilateral plaques were on the symptomatic side (P = .02). Plaque thickness, plaque length, and plaque volume were greater on the symptomatic side than on the asymptomatic side (P = .001, P young adults with CS. Measurement of the plaque burden with carotid duplex may help to identify symptomatic NOCA. Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Carotid Artery Stiffness, Digital Endothelial Function, and Coronary Calcium in Patients with Essential Thrombocytosis, Free of Overt Atherosclerotic Disease.

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Vrtovec, Matjaz; Anzic, Ajda; Zupan, Irena Preloznik; Zaletel, Katja; Blinc, Ales

2017-06-01

Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are at increased risk for atherothrombotic events. Our aim was to determine if patients with essential thrombocytosis (ET), a subtype of MPNs, free of symptomatic atherosclerosis, have greater carotid artery stiffness, worse endothelial function, greater coronary calcium and carotid plaque burden than control subjects. 40 ET patients without overt vascular disease, and 42 apparently healthy, age and sex-matched control subjects with comparable classical risk factors for atherosclerosis and Framingham risk of coronary disease were enrolled. All subjects were examined by physical and laboratory testing, carotid echo-tracking ultrasound, digital EndoPat pletysmography and CT coronary calcium scoring. No significant differences were found between ET patients and controls in carotid plaque score [1 (0-1.25) vs. 0 (0-2), p=0.30], β- index of carotid stiffness [7.75 (2.33) vs. 8.44 (2,81), p=0.23], pulse wave velocity [6,21 (1,00) vs. 6.45 (1.04) m/s; p=0.46], digital reactive hyperemia index [2.10 (0.57) vs. 2.35 (0.62), p=0.07], or augmentation index [19 (3-30) vs. 13 (5-22) %, p=0.38]. Overall coronary calcium burden did not differ between groups [Agatston score 0.1 (0-16.85) vs. 0 (0-8.55), p=0.26]. However, significantly more ET patients had an elevated coronary calcium score of >160 [6/40 vs. 0/42, p 160, indicating high cardiovascular risk, not predicted by the Framingham equation.

Carotid Artery Stiffness, Digital Endothelial Function, and Coronary Calcium in Patients with Essential Thrombocytosis, Free of Overt Atherosclerotic Disease

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Vrtovec, Matjaz; Anzic, Ajda; Zupan, Irena Preloznik; Zaletel, Katja

2017-01-01

Abstract Background Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are at increased risk for atherothrombotic events. Our aim was to determine if patients with essential thrombocytosis (ET), a subtype of MPNs, free of symptomatic atherosclerosis, have greater carotid artery stiffness, worse endothelial function, greater coronary calcium and carotid plaque burden than control subjects. Patients and methods 40 ET patients without overt vascular disease, and 42 apparently healthy, age and sex-matched control subjects with comparable classical risk factors for atherosclerosis and Framingham risk of coronary disease were enrolled. All subjects were examined by physical and laboratory testing, carotid echo-tracking ultrasound, digital EndoPat pletysmography and CT coronary calcium scoring. Results No significant differences were found between ET patients and controls in carotid plaque score [1 (0-1.25) vs. 0 (0-2), p=0.30], β- index of carotid stiffness [7.75 (2.33) vs. 8.44 (2,81), p=0.23], pulse wave velocity [6,21 (1,00) vs. 6.45 (1.04) m/s; p=0.46], digital reactive hyperemia index [2.10 (0.57) vs. 2.35 (0.62), p=0.07], or augmentation index [19 (3-30) vs. 13 (5-22) %, p=0.38]. Overall coronary calcium burden did not differ between groups [Agatston score 0.1 (0-16.85) vs. 0 (0-8.55), p=0.26]. However, significantly more ET patients had an elevated coronary calcium score of >160 [6/40 vs. 0/42, p 160, indicating high cardiovascular risk, not predicted by the Framingham equation. PMID:28740456

Usefulness of CT angiography after metallic stent implantation of the internal carotid artery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Man Won; Kim, Hyeon Chul; Kim, Jae Kyu; Seo, Jeong Jin; Jeong, Gwang Woo; Kang, Heoung Keun

1999-01-01

To evaluate the usefulness of CT angiography in patients with implantation of metallic stent for stenosed internal carotid artery. Seven patients with atherosclerotic stenosis of the internal carotid artery underwent metallic stent implantation. All were male and their ages ranged from 36 to 69 years. A total of seven stents were placed in the internal carotid artery in five patients and in the carotid bifurcation in two. Spiral CT scans were obtained and CT angiographic images were reconstructed using MPR or curved MPR techniques at a workstation. The interval between CT and conventional angiography did not exceed six days except in one patient, in whom it was 61days. CT and conventional angiography were compared for stent position with respect to the carotid bifurcation, stent deformation, intraluminal filling defect, and luminal caliber and outflow. Luminal patency of the implanted stent was measured according to NASCET(North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial) criteria, and statistically processed (p>.05). The presence or absence of intrastent thrombus and vascular wall calcification was determined using axial source images. In all patients, CT angiographic findings matched those obtained by conventional angiography. Complications such as migration or deformation of an implanted stent, intraluminal filling defect, change of luminal caliber or outflow of implanted stent were not observed in any patient. In two studies in which Wilcoxon signed rank test was used, degree of stent expansion correlated closely(p=0.237). Axial source images showed that in no patient was an intrastent thrombus present, though in five, vascular wall calcification of internal carotid arteries outside the stent was noted. CT angiography is useful for the assessment of positional change, occlusion, and luminal patency of a stent-implanted internal carotid artery

Clinical Comparison of Outcomes of Early versus Delayed Carotid Artery Stenting for Symptomatic Cerebral Watershed Infarction due to Stenosis of the Proximal Internal Carotid Artery

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Huakun Liu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of early versus delayed carotid artery stenting (CAS for symptomatic cerebral watershed infarction (sCWI patients due to stenosis of the proximal internal carotid artery. We retrospectively collected clinical data of those who underwent early or delayed CAS from March 2011 to April 2014. The time of early CAS and delayed CAS was within a week of symptom onset and after four weeks from symptom onset. Clinical data such as second stroke, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NHISS score, and modified Rankin Scale (mRS score and periprocedural complications were collected. The rate of second stroke in early CAS group is lower when compared to that of delayed CAS group. There was no significant difference regarding periprocedural complications in both groups. There was a significant difference regarding mean NHISS score 90 days after CAS in two groups. Early CAS group had a significant better good outcome (mRS score ≤ 2 than delayed CAS group. We suggest early CAS for sCWI due to severe proximal internal carotid artery stenosis as it provides lower rate of second stroke, comparable periprocedural complications, and better functional outcomes compared to that of delayed CAS.

Clinical and imaging features associated with an increased risk of early and late stroke in patients with symptomatic carotid disease

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Naylor, A R; Sillesen, H; Schroeder, T V

2015-01-01

of acute cerebral injury on CT/MRI; (iii) Gray Scale Median (GSM) predictive algorithms (based......-99% stenoses will suffer a stroke within 72 hours of their index symptom. Currently, there are insufficient validated data to identify highest-risk patients for emergency carotid endarterectomy (CEA), but an increased risk of stroke appears to be predicted by (i) an ABCD(2) score of 4-7; (ii) the presence...... on accessible imaging strategies) for identifying acutely symptomatic patients with highly unstable plaques for emergency CEA. MEDIUM TO LONG TERM: In the randomised trials, about 70% of patients with symptomatic 70-99% stenoses were stroke-free on "best medical therapy" at 5 years. Clinical predictors...

Hydrocortisone supresses inflammatory activity of metalloproteinase - 8 in carotid plaque

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Gabriel, Sthefano Atique; Antonangelo, Leila; Capelozzi, Vera Luiza; Beteli, Camila Baumann; de Camargo Júnior, Otacílio; de Aquino, José Luis Braga; Caffaro, Roberto Augusto

2015-01-01

Objective Matrix metalloproteinases are inflammatory biomarkers involved in carotid plaque instability. Our objective was to analyze the inflammatory activity of plasma and carotid plaque MMP-8 and MMP-9 after intravenous administration of hydrocortisone. Methods The study included 22 patients with stenosis ≥ 70% in the carotid artery (11 symptomatic and 11 asymptomatic) who underwent carotid endarterectomy. The patients were divided into two groups: Control Group - hydrocortisone was not administered, and Group 1 - 500 mg intravenous hydrocortisone was administered during anesthetic induction. Plasma levels of MMP-8 and MMP-9 were measured preoperatively (24 hours before carotid endarterectomy) and at 1 hour, 6 hours and 24 hours after carotid endarterectomy. In carotid plaque, tissue levels of MMP-8 and MMP-9 were measured. Results Group 1 showed increased serum levels of MMP- 8 (994.28 pg/ml and 408.54 pg/ml, respectively; P=0.045) and MMP-9 (106,656.34 and 42,807.69 respectively; P=0.014) at 1 hour after carotid endarterectomy compared to the control group. Symptomatic patients in Group 1 exhibited lower tissue concentration of MMP-8 in comparison to the control group (143.89 pg/ml and 1317.36 respectively; P=0.003). There was a correlation between preoperative MMP-9 levels and tissue concentrations of MMP-8 (P=0.042) and MMP-9 (P=0.019) between symptomatic patients in the control group. Conclusion Hydrocortisone reduces the concentration of MMP- 8 in carotid plaque, especially in symptomatic patients. There was an association between systemic and tissue inflammation. PMID:26313719

Silent myocardial ischemia in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis: associated factors.

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Arenillas, Juan F; Candell-Riera, Jaume; Romero-Farina, Guillermo; Molina, Carlos A; Chacón, Pilar; Aguadé-Bruix, Santiago; Montaner, Joan; de León, Gustavo; Castell-Conesa, Joan; Alvarez-Sabín, José

2005-06-01

Optimization of coronary risk evaluation in stroke patients has been encouraged. The relationship between symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis and occult coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been evaluated sufficiently. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of silent myocardial ischemia in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis and to identify factors associated with its presence. From 186 first-ever transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke patients with intracranial stenoses, 65 fulfilled selection criteria, including angiographic confirmation of a symptomatic atherosclerotic stenosis and absence of known CAD. All patients underwent a maximal-stress myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], C-reactive protein, and homocysteine (Hcy) levels were determined before SPECT. Stress-rest SPECT detected reversible myocardial perfusion defects in 34 (52%) patients. Vascular risk factors associated with a pathologic SPECT were hypercholesterolemia (P=0.045), presence of >2 risk factors (P=0.004) and high Lp(a) (P=0.023) and Hcy levels (P=0.018). Ninety percent of patients with high Lp(a) and Hcy levels had a positive SPECT. Existence of a stenosed intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA; odds ratio [OR], 7.22, 2.07 to 25.23; P=0.002) and location of the symptomatic stenosis in vertebrobasilar arteries (OR, 4.89, 1.19 to 20.12; P=0.027) were independently associated with silent myocardial ischemia after adjustment by age, sex, and risk factors. More than 50% of the patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis and not overt CAD show myocardial perfusion defects on stress-rest SPECT. Stenosed intracranial ICA, symptomatic vertebrobasilar stenosis and presence of high Lp(a) and Hcy levels may characterize the patients at a higher risk for occult CAD.

Prosthetic bypass for restenosis after endarterectomy or stenting of the carotid artery.

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Illuminati, Giulio; Belmonte, Romain; Schneider, Fabrice; Pizzardi, Giulia; Calió, Francesco G; Ricco, Jean-Baptiste

2017-06-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the results of prosthetic carotid bypass (PCB) with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts as an alternative to carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in treatment of restenosis after CEA or carotid artery stenting (CAS). From January 2000 to December 2014, 66 patients (57 men and 9 women; mean age, 71 years) presenting with recurrent carotid artery stenosis ≥70% (North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial [NASCET] criteria) were enrolled in a prospective study in three centers. The study was approved by an Institutional Review Board. Informed consent was obtained from all patients. During the same period, a total of 4321 CEAs were completed in the three centers. In these 66 patients, the primary treatment of the initial carotid artery stenosis was CEA in 57 patients (86%) and CAS in nine patients (14%). The median delay between primary and redo revascularization was 32 months. Carotid restenosis was symptomatic in 38 patients (58%) with transient ischemic attack (n = 20) or stroke (n = 18). In this series, all patients received statins; 28 patients (42%) received dual antiplatelet therapy, and 38 patients (58%) received single antiplatelet therapy. All PCBs were performed under general anesthesia. No shunt was used in this series. Nasal intubation to improve distal control of the internal carotid artery was performed in 33 patients (50%), including those with intrastent restenosis. A PTFE graft of 6 or 7 mm in diameter was used in 6 and 60 patients, respectively. Distal anastomosis was end to end in 22 patients and end to side with a clip distal to the atherosclerotic lesions in 44 patients. Completion angiography was performed in all cases. The patients were discharged under statin and antiplatelet treatment. After discharge, all of the patients underwent clinical and Doppler ultrasound follow-up every 6 months. Median length of follow-up was 5 years. No patient died, sustained a stroke, or presented with a

Periodontal bacteria in human carotid atherothrombosis as a potential trigger for neutrophil activation.

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Rangé, Hélène; Labreuche, Julien; Louedec, Liliane; Rondeau, Philippe; Planesse, Cynthia; Sebbag, Uriel; Bourdon, Emmanuel; Michel, Jean-Baptiste; Bouchard, Philippe; Meilhac, Olivier

2014-10-01

Epidemiological, biological and clinical links between periodontal and cardiovascular diseases are now well established. Several human studies have detected bacterial DNA corresponding to periodontal pathogens in cardiovascular samples. Intraplaque hemorrhage has been associated with a higher risk of atherosclerotic plaque rupture, potentially mediated by neutrophil activation. In this study, we hypothesized that plaque composition may be related to periodontal pathogens. Carotid culprit plaque samples were collected from 157 patients. Macroscopic characterization was performed at the time of collection: presence of blood, lipid core, calcification and fibrosis. Markers of neutrophil activation released by carotid samples were quantified (myeloperoxidase or MPO, cell-free DNA and DNA-MPO complexes). PCR analysis using specific primers for Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcommitans, Treponema denticola, Prevotella intermedia and Tannerella forsythia was used to detect DNA from periodontal pathogens in carotid tissues. In addition, bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Immunoglobulins G against T. forsythia were quantified in atherosclerotic carotid conditioned medium. Intraplaque hemorrhage was present in 73/157 carotid samples and was associated with neutrophil activation, reflected by the release of MPO, cell-free DNA and MPO-DNA complexes. LPS levels were also linked to intraplaque hemorrhage but not with the neutrophil activation markers. Seventy-three percent of the carotid samples were positive for periodontal bacterial DNA. Furthermore, hemoglobin levels were associated with the detection of T. forsythia and neutrophil activation/inflammation markers. This study suggests a potential role of periodontal microorganisms, especially T. forsythia, in neutrophil activation within hemorrhagic atherosclerotic carotid plaques. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence and clinical characteristics of carotid atherosclerosis in newly diagnosed patients with ketosis-onset diabetes: a cross-sectional study

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2013-01-01

Background The features of carotid atherosclerosis in ketosis-onset diabetes have not been investigated. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of carotid atherosclerosis in newly diagnosed Chinese diabetic patients with ketosis but without islet-associated autoantibodies. Methods In total, 423 newly diagnosed Chinese patients with diabetes including 208 ketosis-onset diabetics without islet-associated autoantibodies, 215 non-ketotic type 2 diabetics and 79 control subjects without diabetes were studied. Carotid atherosclerosis was defined as the presence of atherosclerotic plaques in any of the carotid vessel segments. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), carotid atherosclerotic plaque formation and stenosis were assessed and compared among the three groups based on Doppler ultrasound examination. The clinical features of carotid atherosclerotic lesions were analysed, and the risk factors associated with carotid atherosclerosis were evaluated using binary logistic regression in patients with diabetes. Results The prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis was significantly higher in the ketosis-onset diabetic group (30.80%) than in the control group (15.2%, p=0.020) after adjusting for age- and sex-related differences, but no significant difference was observed in comparison to the non-ketotic diabetic group (35.8%, p=0.487). The mean CIMT of the ketosis-onset diabetics (0.70±0.20 mm) was markedly higher than that of the control subjects (0.57±0.08 mm, pketosis-onset and the non-ketotic diabetes, the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis was markedly increased with age (both pketosis-onset diabetics, the presence of carotid atherosclerosis was significantly associated with age, hypertension, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and mean CIMT. Conclusions The prevalence and risk of carotid atherosclerosis were significantly higher in the ketosis-onset diabetics than in the control subjects but similar to that in the non-ketotic type 2

Bypass surgery to treat symptomatic fusiform dilation of the internal carotid artery following craniopharyngioma resection: report of 2 cases.

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Wang, Long; Shi, Xiang'en; Liu, Fangjun; Qian, Hai

2016-12-01

Fusiform dilation of the internal carotid artery (FDICA) is an infrequent vascular complication following resection of suprasellar lesions in the pediatric population, and its course appears to be benign without apparent clinical symptoms. However, data correlating symptomatic FDICA with bypass surgery are scarce. The authors here report 2 symptomatic cases that were treated using internal maxillary artery bypass more than 5 years after total removal of a craniopharyngioma at an outside institution. Both cases of FDICA were resected to relieve the mass effect and to expose the craniopharyngioma. The postoperative course was uneventful, and radiological imaging revealed graft conduit patency. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported use of extracranial to intracranial bypass to treat FDICA following removal of a suprasellar lesion. Their findings suggest that bypass surgery is a useful therapeutic approach for symptomatic cases of FDICA and total removal of recurrent craniopharyngioma. Moreover, the indications for surgical intervention and treatment modalities are discussed in the context of previous relevant cases.

Recommendations for Management of Patients with Carotid Stenosis

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Arijana Lovrencic-Huzjan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Stroke is a one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. Carotid atherosclerosis is recognized as an important factor in stroke pathophysiology and represents a key target in stroke prevention; multiple treatment modalities have been developed to battle this disease. Multiple randomized trials have shown the efficacy of carotid endarterectomy in secondary stroke prevention. Carotid stenting, a newer treatment option, presents a less invasive alternative to the surgical intervention on carotid arteries. Advances in medical therapy have also enabled further risk reduction in the overall incidence of stroke. Despite numerous trials and decades of clinical research, the optimal management of symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid disease remains controversial. We will attempt to highlight some of the pivotal trials already completed, discuss the current controversies and complexities in the treatment decision-making, and postulate on what likely lies ahead. This paper will highlight the complexities of decision-making optimal treatment recommendations for patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid stenosis.

Mesh-covered (Roadsaver stent as a new treatment modality for symptomatic or high-risk carotid stenosis

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Roman Machnik

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction : Prevention of periprocedural stroke has a crucial role in carotid artery stenting (CAS procedures. Aim : To assess retrospectively 30-day safety and effectiveness of 41 procedures of internal and common carotid artery stenting using the Roadsaver double nitinol layer micromesh stent in 40 non-consecutive patients with symptomatic or high-risk carotid artery stenosis. Material and methods : The patients were men (n = 31 and women (n = 9; mean age was 67.8 ±7.9 years. Femoral access was used in 39 cases, whereas radial access was used in 2. Proximal (n = 27 or distal (n = 14 embolic neuroprotection was used. Results : The Roadsaver stents (nominal diameter 7, 8 or 9 mm, length 25 or 30 mm were implanted successfully in all cases. One minor stroke occurred after common carotid artery intubation with a guiding catheter (before stent deployment and one transient postprocedural ischemic attack (TIA of the ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere was observed. Internal/common carotid artery stenosis severity was evaluated by duplex Doppler. Maximal peak systolic velocity (PSV before CAS was in the range: 2.0–7.0 m/s, mean: 3.9 ±1.0 m/s, at 24–48 h after stenting mean PSV was 1.1 ±0.4 m/s (p < 0.05, and at 30 days 1.1 ±0.3 m/s (p < 0.05. Maximal end-diastolic velocity (EDV was 0.85–3.5 m/s, mean 1.4 ±0.5 m/s, at 24–48 h after stenting mean EDV was 0.3 ±0.1 m/s (p < 0.05, and at 30 days 0.4 ±0.1 m/s (p < 0.05. No restenosis or thrombosis was observed. Angiographic stenosis decreased from 82.9 ±9.1% (range: 61–97% to 19.3 ±7.3% (range: 0–34% (p < 0.05. Conclusions : The CAS using the Roadsaver stent seems to be safe and effective. Further studies involving larger patient populations and longer follow-up are needed.

Advanced Asymptomatic Carotid Disease and Cognitive Impairment: An Understated Link?

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Irena Martinić-Popović

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Advanced carotid disease is known to be associated with symptomatic cerebrovascular diseases, such as stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA, as well as with poststroke cognitive impairment. However, cognitive decline often occurs in patients with advanced carotid stenosis without clinically evident stroke or TIA, so it is also suspected to be an independent risk factor for dementia. Neurosonological methods enable simple and noninvasive assessment of carotid stenosis in patients at risk of advanced atherosclerosis. Cognitive status in patients diagnosed with advanced carotid stenosis is routinely not taken into consideration, although if cognitive impairment is present, such patients should probably be called symptomatic. In this paper, we discuss results of some most important studies that investigated cognitive status of patients with asymptomatic advanced carotid disease and possible mechanisms involved in the causal relationship between asymptomatic advanced carotid disease and cognitive decline.

A framework for the co-registration of hemodynamic forces and atherosclerotic plaque components

OpenAIRE

Canton, Gador; Chiu, Bernard; Chen, Huijun; Chen, Yimin; Hatsukami, Thomas S.; Kerwin, William S.; Yuan, Chun

2013-01-01

Local hemodynamic forces, such as wall shear stress, are thought to trigger cellular and molecular mechanisms that determine atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability to rupture. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a powerful tool to characterize human carotid atherosclerotic plaque composition and morphology, and to identify plaque features shown to be key determinants of plaque vulnerability. Image-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has allowed researchers to obtain time-resolv...

Intraplaque hemorrhage, a potential consequence of periodontal bacteria gathering in human carotid atherothrombosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Brun, Adrian; Rangé, Hélène; Prouvost, Bastien; Meilhac, Olivier; Mazighi, Mikael; Amarenco, Pierre; Lesèche, Guy; Bouchard, Philippe; Michel, Jean-Baptiste

2016-06-28

Periodontal diseases are multifactorial inflammatory diseases, caused by a bacterial biofilm involving both innate and adaptative immunity, characterized by the destruction of tooth-supporting tissues. In the context of periodontitis, the spread of weak pathogenic bacteria into the bloodstream has been described. These bacteria will preferentially localize to existing clot within the circulation. Atherothrombosis of the carotid arteries is a local pathology and a common cause of cerebral infarction. Intraplaque hemorrhages render the lesion more prone to clinical complications such as stroke. The main objective of this study is to explore the biological relationship between carotid intraplaque hemorrhage and periodontal diseases. This study included consecutive patients with symptomatic or asymptomatic carotid stenosis, admitted for endarterectomy surgical procedure (n=41). In conditioned media of the carotid samples collected, markers of neutrophil activation (myeloperoxidase or MPO, DNA-MPO complexes) and hemoglobin were quantified. To investigate the presence of DNA from periodontal bacteria in atherosclerotic plaque, PCR analysis using specific primers was performed. Our preliminary results indicate an association between neutrophil activation and intraplaque hemorrhages, reflected by the release of MPO (p<0,01) and MPO-DNA complexes (p<0,05). Presence of DNA from periodontitis-associated bacteria was found in 32/41 (78%) atheromatous plaque samples. More specifically, DNA from Pg, Tf, Pi, Aa was found in 46%, 24%, 34% and 68% of the samples, respectively. Hemoglobin levels were higher in conditioned media in carotid samples where the bacteria were found, but this was not statistically significant. Our data confirm the relationship between intraplaque hemorrhage and neutrophil activation. In addition, the presence of periodontal bacteria DNA in carotid atheromatous plaque, may contribute to this activation. Further analysis is needed to fully explore the raw

Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease

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Maria Khan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD is the most common proximate mechanism of ischemic stroke worldwide. Approximately half of those affected are Asians. For diagnosis of ICAD, intra-arterial angiography is the gold standard to identify extent of stenosis. However, noninvasive techniques including transcranial ultrasound and MRA are now emerging as reliable modalities to exclude moderate to severe (50%–99% stenosis. Little is known about measures for primary prevention of the disease. In terms of secondary prevention of stroke due to intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis, aspirin continues to be the preferred antiplatelet agent although clopidogrel along with aspirin has shown promise in the acute phase. Among Asians, cilostazol has shown a favorable effect on symptomatic stenosis and is of benefit in terms of fewer bleeds. Moreover, aggressive risk factor management alone and in combination with dual antiplatelets been shown to be most effective in this group of patients. Interventional trials on intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis have so far only been carried out among Caucasians and have not yielded consistent results. Since the Asian population is known to be preferentially effected, focused trials need to be performed to establish treatment modalities that are most effective in this population.

High-risk carotid plaques identified by CT-angiogram can predict acute myocardial infarction.

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Mosleh, Wassim; Adib, Keenan; Natdanai, Punnanithinont; Carmona-Rubio, Andres; Karki, Roshan; Paily, Jacienta; Ahmed, Mohamed Abdel-Aal; Vakkalanka, Sujit; Madam, Narasa; Gudleski, Gregory D; Chung, Charles; Sharma, Umesh C

2017-04-01

Prior studies identified the incremental value of non-invasive imaging by CT-angiogram (CTA) to detect high-risk coronary atherosclerotic plaques. Due to their superficial locations, larger calibers and motion-free imaging, the carotid arteries provide the best anatomic access for the non-invasive characterization of atherosclerotic plaques. We aim to assess the ability of predicting obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) or acute myocardial infarction (MI) based on high-risk carotid plaque features identified by CTA. We retrospectively examined carotid CTAs of 492 patients that presented with acute stroke to characterize the atherosclerotic plaques of the carotid arteries and examined development of acute MI and obstructive CAD within 12-months. Carotid lesions were defined in terms of calcifications (large or speckled), presence of low-attenuation plaques, positive remodeling, and presence of napkin ring sign. Adjusted relative risks were calculated for each plaque features. Patients with speckled (<3 mm) calcifications and/or larger calcifications on CTA had a higher risk of developing an MI and/or obstructive CAD within 1 year compared to patients without (adjusted RR of 7.51, 95%CI 1.26-73.42, P = 0.001). Patients with low-attenuation plaques on CTA had a higher risk of developing an MI and/or obstructive CAD within 1 year than patients without (adjusted RR of 2.73, 95%CI 1.19-8.50, P = 0.021). Presence of carotid calcifications and low-attenuation plaques also portended higher sensitivity (100 and 79.17%, respectively) for the development of acute MI. Presence of carotid calcifications and low-attenuation plaques can predict the risk of developing acute MI and/or obstructive CAD within 12-months. Given their high sensitivity, their absence can reliably exclude 12-month events.

Spiral Computed Tomographic Imaging Related to Computerized Ultrasonographic Images of Carotid Plaque Morphology and Histology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grønholdt, Marie-Louise M.; Wagner, Aase; Wiebe, Britt M.

2001-01-01

Echolucency of carotid atherosclerotic plaques, as evaluated by computerized B-mode ultrasonographic images, has been associated with an increased incidence of brain infarcts on cerebral computed tomographic scans. We tested the hypotheses that characterization of carotid plaques on spiral comput...

Oral glucose tolerance test predicts increased carotid plaque burden in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thorarinn A Bjarnason

Full Text Available Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes are established risk factors for atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the atherosclerotic plaque burden in the carotid arteries of patients with acute coronary syndrome according to their glycemic status.Patients with acute coronary syndrome and no previous history of type 2 diabetes were consecutively included in the study. Glucose metabolism was evaluated with fasting glucose in plasma, HbA1c and a standard two-hour oral glucose tolerance test. Atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid arteries was evaluated with a standardized ultrasound examination where total plaque area was measured and patients classified as having no plaque or a significant plaque formation.A total of 245 acute coronary syndrome patients (male 78%, 64 years (SD: 10.9 were included. The proportion diagnosed with normal glucose metabolism, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes was 28.6%, 64.1% and 7.3%, respectively. A significant atherosclerotic plaque was found in 48.5%, 66.9% and 72.2% of patients with normal glucose metabolism, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, respectively. An incremental increase in total plaque area was found from normal glucose metabolism to prediabetes (25.5% and from normal glucose metabolism to type 2 diabetes (35.9% (p = 0.04. When adjusted for conventional cardiovascular risk factors the OR of having significant atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid arteries was 2.17 (95% CI 1.15-4.15 for patients with newly diagnosed dysglycemia compared to patients with normal glucose metabolism. When additionally adjusted for the 2-hour plasma glucose after glucose loading (2hPG the OR attenuated to 1.77 (95% CI 0.83-3.84.Newly detected dysglycemia is an independent predictor of significant atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid arteries with oral glucose tolerance test as a major determinant of carotid plaque burden in this group of individuals with acute coronary syndrome.

The contemporary management of intracranial atherosclerotic disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Leng, Xinyi; Wong, Ka Sing; Leung, Thomas W

2016-06-01

Intracranial atherosclerotic disease is the most common cause of cerebral vasculopathy and an important stroke etiology worldwide, with a higher prevalence in Asian, Hispanic and African ethnicities. Symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease portends a recurrent stroke risk as high as 18% at one year. The key to secondary prevention is an understanding of the underlying stroke mechanism and aggressive control of conventional cardiovascular risks. Contemporary treatment includes antiplatelet therapy, optimal glycemic and blood pressure control, statin therapy and lifestyle modifications. For patients with high-grade (70-99%) symptomatic steno-occlusion, short-term dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel followed by life-long single antiplatelet therapy may reduce the recurrent risk. Current evidence does not advocate percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting as an initial treatment. External counterpulsation, encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis and remote limb ischemic preconditioning are treatments under investigation. Future studies should aim at predicting patients prone to recurrence despite of medical therapies and testing the efficacy of emerging therapies.

The role of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in visualizing atherosclerotic carotid plaque vulnerability: Which injection protocol? Which scanning technique?

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Iezzi, Roberto, E-mail: roberto.iezzi@rm.unicatt.it [Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, Institute of Radiology, “A. Gemelli” Hospital—Catholic University, L.go A Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome (Italy); Petrone, Gianluigi [Institute of Pathology, “A. Gemelli” Hospital—Catholic University, L.go A Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome (Italy); Ferrante, Angela [Department of Vascular Surgery, “A. Gemelli” Hospital—Catholic University, L.go A Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome (Italy); Lauriola, Libero [Institute of Pathology, “A. Gemelli” Hospital—Catholic University, L.go A Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome (Italy); Vincenzoni, Claudio [Department of Vascular Surgery, “A. Gemelli” Hospital—Catholic University, L.go A Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome (Italy); Torre, Michele Fabio la [Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, Institute of Radiology, “A. Gemelli” Hospital—Catholic University, L.go A Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome (Italy); Snider, Francesco [Department of Vascular Surgery, “A. Gemelli” Hospital—Catholic University, L.go A Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome (Italy); Rindi, Guido [Institute of Pathology, “A. Gemelli” Hospital—Catholic University, L.go A Gemelli 8, 00168, Rome (Italy); Bonomo, Lorenzo [Department of Bioimaging and Radiological Sciences, Institute of Radiology, “A. Gemelli” Hospital—Catholic University, L.go A Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome (Italy)

2015-05-15

Highlights: • CEUS is a safe and efficacious technique for the identification and characterization of carotid plaque. • CEUS represents a diagnostic tool for the management of patients with carotid plaque, particularly in asymptomatic patients. • Improved diagnostic performance is achieved with the injection of 4 mL bolus of contrast-medium. • Improved diagnostic performance is achieved with the use of Dynamic Imaging rather than late-phase imaging. - Abstract: Purpose: To correlate the degree of plaque vulnerability as determined by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) with histological findings. Secondary objectives were to optimize the CEUS acquisition technique and image evaluation methods. Materials and methods: Fifty consecutive patients, either symptomatic and asymptomatic referring to our department in order to perform carotid endarterectomy (TEA), were enrolled. Each patient provided informed consent before undergoing CEUS. Ultrasound examination was performed using high-frequency (8–14 MHz) linear probe and a non-linear pulse inversion technique (mechanical index: 0.09–1.3). A double contrast media injection (Sonovue, 2 mL and 4 mL; Bracco, Italy) was performed. Two videotapes were recorded for every injection: early “dynamic” phase and late “flash” phase, performed with 6 high mechanical index impulses. Movies were quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation were statistically compared to immunohistological diagnosis of vulnerable plaque, considered as gold standard. Results: Qualitative CEUS evaluation obtained high statistical results when compared to immunohistological results, with values of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy of 94%, 68%, 87%, 85% and 86%, respectively, which became higher if considering only asymptomatic patient, with a NPV of 91%. Nevertheless, quantitative software evaluation proved less

Symptomatic carotid stenosis and stroke risk in patients with transient ischemic attack according to the tissue-based definition.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Khaled, Mohamed; Scheef, Björn

2016-10-01

Symptomatic carotid stenosis (sCS), a common cause of transient ischemic attack (TIA), is correlated with higher stroke risk. We investigated the frequency and associated factors of sCS in patients with TIA and the association between sCS and stroke risk following TIA. Over a three-year period (2011-2013), 861 consecutive patients with TIA, who were admitted to the Department of Neurology at the University of Lübeck, Germany, were included in a monocenter study and prospectively evaluated. Diagnosis of TIA was in accordance with the tissue-based definition (transient neurological symptoms without evidence of infarction by brain imaging). Of 827 patients (mean age, 70 ± 13.2 years; 49.7% women), 64 patients (7.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.9%-9.7%) exhibited sCS and 3 patients (0.3%) showed an occlusion of the corresponding internal carotid artery. Logistic regression revealed that sCS was associated with male sex (odds ratio [OR], 2.7; 95% CI, 1.2-3.6; p = 0.012), amaurosis fugax (OR, 8.1; 95% CI, 3.4-19-4; p definition.

A Novel Method of Macropathologic and Arteriographic Examination of Carotid Specimens Obtained from Autopsy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulte-Altedorneburg, Gernot; Droste, Dirk W.; Kollar, Jozsef; Hegedues, Csaba; Gomba, Szabolcs; Ringelstein, E. Bernd; Csiba, Laszlo

2000-01-01

Twenty carotid bifurcations were examined. During autopsy, carotid bifurcations were removed in toto. Unfixed carotids were ligated and cannulated for injection of an angiographic contrast medium followed by injection of a tissue-embedding medium at physiologic pressure and temperature. The carotid bifurcation was frozen and cut manually in 3-mm cross-sections. Photographs were then taken of every slice. Angiography, filling with tissue-embedding material, and sectioning were successful in all cases. In the macropathologic sections, the extent, configuration and location of atherosclerotic lesions could be identified

Re-establishment of cerebral metabolism after carotid endarterectomy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Balm, R.; van der Grond, J.; Mali, W. P.; Eikelboom, B. C.

1995-01-01

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the metabolic changes that occur in the human brain in patients with a symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), choline, creatine and lactate were measured both before, and 4 days after, carotid

Outcome of Carotid Artery Stenting for Radiation-Induced Stenosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dorresteijn, Lucille; Vogels, Oscar; Leeuw, Frank-Erik de; Vos, Jan-Albert; Christiaans, Marleen H.; Ackerstaff, Rob; Kappelle, Arnoud C.

2010-01-01

Purpose: Patients who have been irradiated at the neck have an increased risk of symptomatic stenosis of the carotid artery during follow-up. Carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) can be a preferable alternative treatment to carotid endarterectomy, which is associated with increased operative risks in these patients. Methods and Materials: We performed a prospective cohort study of 24 previously irradiated patients who underwent CAS for symptomatic carotid stenosis. We assessed periprocedural and nonprocedural events including transient ischemic attack (TIA), nondisabling stroke, disabling stoke, and death. Patency rates were evaluated on duplex ultrasound scans. Restenosis was defined as a stenosis of >50% at the stent location. Results: Periprocedural TIA rate was 8%, and periprocedural stroke (nondisabling) occurred in 4% of patients. After a mean follow-up of 3.3 years (range, 0.3-11.0 years), only one ipsilateral incident event (TIA) had occurred (4%). In 12% of patients, a contralateral incident event was present: one TIA (4%) and two strokes (12%, two disabling strokes). Restenosis was apparent in 17%, 33%, and 42% at 3, 12, and 24 months, respectively, although none of the patients with restenosed vessels became symptomatic. The length of the irradiation to CAS interval proved the only significant risk factor for restenosis. Conclusions: The results of CAS for radiation-induced carotid stenosis are favorable in terms of recurrence of cerebrovascular events at the CAS site.

Application of the lattice Boltzmann model to simulated stenosis growth in a two-dimensional carotid artery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyd, J; Buick, J; Cosgrove, J A; Stansell, P

2005-01-01

The lattice Boltzmann model is used to observe changes in the velocity flow and shear stress in a carotid artery model during a simulated stenosis growth. Near wall shear stress in the unstenosed artery is found to agree with literature values. The model also shows regions of low velocity, rotational flow and low near wall shear stress along parts of the walls of the carotid artery that have been identified as being prone to atherosclerosis. These regions persist during the simulated stenosis growth, suggesting that atherosclerotic plaque build-up creates regions of flow with properties that favour atherosclerotic progression

Optimal Treatment of the ‘High-Risk’ Patient with Carotid Artery Stenosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fokkema, T.M.

2013-01-01

Four landmark randomized trials have clearly validated the use of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for the management of asymptomatic and symptomatic significant carotid artery stenosis. However, its risk-to-benefit ratio is variable for different patients. With the advent of carotid artery stenting

Comparisons of carotid artery stenting and carotid endoarterectomy in terms of diffusion-weighted MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitsuoka, Hiroshi; Shintani, Tsunehiro; Masuda, Mikio; Higashi, Shigeki

2009-01-01

The objective of this study was to compare two methods of treatment for carotid arterial stenosis, carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS), by means of diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI). Nineteen treatments in 18 cases during the 2007 academic year were included in this study. CAS was performed for 9 cases with 10 lesions (10 procedures), while 9 cases with 9 lesions (9 procedures) were treated by CEA. Patients were examined by a neurologist before and after the procedure, and had pre- and post-procedural DWI. No strokes or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) were observed in these cases. New DWI lesions were found in 7 out of the 10 procedures of CAS imaged 24 hours postprocedure, (average: 2.0 lesions). No new lesions were detected on DWI of CEA cases (χ 2 =8.33, p=0.0039). Certain high-risk subsets may respond well to CAS with a very low incidence of clinically-evident neurologic events, but with significantly higher incidence of periprocedural micro-brain embolism. Currently, CEA should be the first choice of treatment for atherosclerotic carotid artery stenosis. (author)

Comparison of common carotid artery intima-media thickness between Brazilian Euro-descendants and Afro-descendants with atherosclerosis risk factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Casella, Ivan Benaduce; Sotelo, Fabio José Bonafé; Yamazaki, Yumiko; Presti, Calógero; Vassoler, Alecxander; Melo, Henry Augusto Hoffmann

2009-01-01

To compare common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) between the two major Brazilian ethnic groups (those of African descent and those of European descent) among individuals with one or more risk factors for atherosclerotic disease. Two hundred and six patients with one or more risk factors for atherosclerotic disease were evaluated in a cross-sectional study in which their clinical, ethnic and Demographic characteristics were collected. All patients underwent duplex ultrasound examination of their carotid vessels to obtain IMT measurements. One hundred and fifty-three patients (74.3%) had a carotid IMT greater than 1.0 mm at one or more point of measurement in at least one common carotid artery. There was a significant correlation between older age and mean carotid wall thickness (R=0.479 / PBrazilian individuals are similar to those in previously described populations. No differences were observed between the two main Brazilian ethnic groups. Longitudinal studies are required for a better evaluation of the incidence, etiologic factors and evolution of carotid intimomedial thickening in this population.

MR chemical shift imaging and spectroscopy of atherosclerotic plaque

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinitski, S.; Consigny, P.M.; Shapiro, M.J.; Janes, N.; Smullens, S.N.; Rifkin, M.D.

1989-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a technique for in vivo imaging and characterization of atherosclerotic plaque. The authors used a spin-echo technique with a short echo time (TE) of 11 msec. Lipid/water suppression was achieved by means of hybrid chemical shift imaging. Lesions were induced in three rabbits by a combination of balloon denudation of the abdominal aorta and a high-cholesterol diet. Following in vivo imaging of these rabbit aortas and human carotid arteries (1.5 T), the animals were killed or carotid endarterectomy was performed so that the plaques could be excised. The plaques were then analyzed in vitro both histologically and with high-resolution spectroscopy (8.5 T). Use of the short TE improved lesion visualization. The fat/water suppression showed only a small amount of mobile lipids in plaque. Both MR spectroscopic and histologic analysis corroborated these images. The composition of atherosclerotic plaques in both humans and rabbits was demonstrated to be heterogeneous, with predominantly nonmobile lipids. These results suggest that the combination of short TE MR imaging and fat/water suppression can identify plaque and delineate areas containing mobile lipids

Three-dimensional power Doppler sonography in screening for carotid artery disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Keberle, M; Jenett, M; Beissert, M; Jahns, R; Haerten, R; Hahn, D

2000-01-01

Color Doppler sonography has gained considerable recognition as a noninvasive method to detect carotid artery disease and to assess the degree of carotid artery stenosis. However, results are highly operator-dependent and cannot be presented as survey images. The purpose of this study was to evaluate real-time 3-dimensional (3D) power Doppler sonography as a method for screening for atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries. We prospectively screened 75 patients for carotid artery disease using both conventional color Doppler sonography and 3D power Doppler sonography, and the results from the 2 modalities were compared. A total of 150 common carotid arteries, 150 internal carotid arteries, and 150 external carotid arteries were examined utilizing a 7.5-MHz linear-array transducer combined with tissue harmonic imaging. Color Doppler sonography detected 297 normal or atherosclerotic arteries without stenosis, 57 arteries with mild (1-49%) stenosis, 41 with moderate (50-69%) stenosis, 32 with severe (70-99%) stenosis, and 9 with occlusions. The degree of stenosis determined by color Doppler sonography correlated with that determined by 3D power Doppler sonography (r = 0.982-0.998). Moreover, there was a good correlation between the measurements for both the length of the lesion and its distance from the bulb as determined by the 3D volume surveys and by color Doppler sonography (r = 0.986). The interobserver variability rate was 3.7% +/- 0.5%. Generally, the acquisition and reconstruction of the 3D data took less than 5 minutes. 3D power Doppler sonography is easy to perform and is an accurate method in screening for atherosclerotic lesions of the carotid arteries. Moreover, it provides excellent 3D volume surveys that may be helpful in the planning of surgical treatment. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Athero Express : ATHERO-sclerotic plaque EXPRESSion in relation to vascular events and patient characteristics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhoeven, B.A.N.

2006-01-01

Athero-Express is a tissue bank study, designed to investigate the expression of atherosclerotic derived biological variables in relation to the long-term outcome of patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. Its design includes both cross-sectional and follow-up studies, the results from which

Carotid artery stenting: Rationale, technique, and current concepts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yilmaz, Hasan; Pereira, Vitor Mendes; Narata, Ana-Paula; Sztajzel, Roman; Lovblad, Karl-Olof

2010-01-01

Carotid stenosis is a major risk factor for stroke. With the aging of the general population and the availability of non-invasive vascular imaging studies, the diagnosis of a carotid plaque is commonly made in medical practice. Asymptomatic and symptomatic carotid stenoses need to be considered separately because their natural history is different. Two large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) showed the effectiveness of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in preventing ipsilateral ischemic events in patients with symptomatic severe stenosis. The benefit of surgery is much less for moderate stenosis and harmful in patients with stenosis less than 50%. Surgery has a marginal benefit in patients with asymptomatic stenosis. Improvements in medical treatment must be taken into consideration when interpreting the results of these previous trials which compared surgery against medical treatment available at the time the trials were conducted. Carotid artery stenting (CAS) might avoid the risks associated with surgery, including cranial nerve palsy, myocardial infarction, or pulmonary embolism. Therefore and additionally to well-established indications of CAS, this endovascular approach might be a valid alternative particularly in patients at high surgical risk. However, trials of endovascular treatment of carotid stenosis have failed to provide enough evidence to justify routine CAS as an alternative to CEA in patients suitable for surgery. More data from ongoing randomized trials of CEA versus CAS will be soon available. These results will help determining the role of CAS in the management of patients with carotid artery stenosis.

Assessing carotid atherosclerosis by fiber-optic multispectral photoacoustic tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Hui, Jie; Li, Rui; Wang, Pu; Phillips, Evan; Bruning, Rebecca; Liao, Chien-Sheng; Sturek, Michael; Goergen, Craig J.; Cheng, Ji-Xin

2015-03-01

Atherosclerotic plaque at the carotid bifurcation is the underlying cause of the majority of ischemic strokes. Noninvasive imaging and quantification of the compositional changes preceding gross anatomic changes within the arterial wall is essential for diagnosis of disease. Current imaging modalities such as duplex ultrasound, computed tomography, positron emission tomography are limited by the lack of compositional contrast and the detection of flow-limiting lesions. Although high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging has been developed to characterize atherosclerotic plaque composition, its accessibility for wide clinical use is limited. Here, we demonstrate a fiber-based multispectral photoacoustic tomography system for excitation of lipids and external acoustic detection of the generated ultrasound. Using sequential ultrasound imaging of ex vivo preparations we achieved ~2 cm imaging depth and chemical selectivity for assessment of human arterial plaques. A multivariate curve resolution alternating least squares analysis method was applied to resolve the major chemical components, including intravascular lipid, intramuscular fat, and blood. These results show the promise of detecting carotid plaque in vivo through esophageal fiber-optic excitation of lipids and external acoustic detection of the generated ultrasound. This imaging system has great potential for serving as a point-ofcare device for early diagnosis of carotid artery disease in the clinic.

Reconfiguration of NKT Cell Subset Compartment Is Associated with Plaque Development in Patients with Carotid Artery Stenosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Lun; Yu, Lei; Liu, Sa; Li, Tongxun; Zhang, Xiaoping; Cui, Wei; Du, Jie; Zhang, Qinyi

2017-02-01

Accumulating evidence shows that immune cells play an important role in carotid atherosclerotic plaque development. In this study, we assessed the association of 6 different natural killer T (NKT) cell subsets, based on CD57 and CD8 expression, with risk for development of carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CAP). Molecular expression by peripheral NKT cells was evaluated in 13 patients with high-risk CAP and control without carotid stenosis (n = 18). High-risk CAP patients, compared with healthy subjects, had less percentage of CD57+CD8- NKT cell subsets (8.64 ± 10.15 versus 19.62 ± 10.8 %; P = 0.01) and CD57+CD8int NKT cell subsets (4.32 ± 3.04 versus 11.87 ± 8.56 %; P = 0.002), with a corresponding increase in the CD57-CD8high NKT cell subsets (33.22 ± 11.87 versus 18.66 ± 13.68 %; P = 0.007). Intracellular cytokine staining showed that CD8+ NKT cell subset was the main cytokine-producing NKT cell. Cytokine production in plasma was measured with Bio-Plex assay. The expression levels of pro-inflammatory mediators (IFN-γ, IL-17, IP-10) were significantly higher in CAP patients as compared to that from controls. These data provide evidence that NKT cell subset compartment reconfiguration in patients with carotid stenosis seems to be associated with the occurrence of carotid atherosclerotic plaque and suggest that both pathogenic and protective NKT cell subsets exist.

Imaging of inflamed carotid artery atherosclerotic plaques with the use of {sup 99m}Tc-HYNIC-IL-2 scintigraphy in end-stage renal disease patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Opalinska, Marta; Pach, Dorota; Sowa-Staszczak, Anna; Glowa, Boguslaw; Hubalewska-Dydejczyk, Alicja [Jagiellonian University Medical School, Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Endocrinology, Cracow (Poland); Stompor, Tomasz [University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Department of Nephrology, Hypertensiology and Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Olsztyn (Poland); Mikolajczak, Renata; Garnuszek, Piotr; Maurin, Michal; Karczmarczyk, Urszula [National Centre for Nuclear Research Radioisotope Centre POLATOM, Otwock (Poland); Fedak, Danuta [Jagiellonian University Medical School, Clinical Biochemistry, Cracow (Poland); Krzanowski, Marcin; Sulowicz, Wladyslaw [Jagiellonian University Medical School, Department of Nephrology, Cracow (Poland); Rakowski, Tomasz [Jagiellonian University Medical School, 2nd Department of Cardiology, Institute of Cardiology, Cracow (Poland)

2012-04-15

Identification of vulnerable plaques remains crucial for better cardiovascular risk assessment. At least 20% of inflammatory cells within unstable (vulnerable) plaques comprise T lymphocytes, which contain receptors for interleukin-2 (IL-2); those receptors can be identified by scintigraphy with radiolabelled IL-2.The aim of this study was to identify the ''inflamed'' (vulnerable) plaques by scintigraphy using IL-2 labelled with {sup 99m}Tc in the selected, high cardiovascular risk group of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. A total of 28 patients (18 men, 10 women, aged 55.2 {+-} 9.6 years, 17 on peritoneal dialysis, 11 on haemodialysis) underwent common carotid artery (CCA) scintigraphy with the use of {sup 99m}Tc-hydrazinonicotinamide (HYNIC)-IL-2. In all cases, ultrasound examination of the CCA was performed and levels of selected proinflammatory factors, atherogenic markers and calcium-phosphate balance parameters were measured. Finally, the target to non-target (T/nT) ratio of IL-2 uptake in atherosclerotic plaques with intima-media thickness (IMT), classic cardiovascular risk factors and concentrations of the measured factors were compared. Increased {sup 99m}Tc-HYNIC-IL-2 uptake in atherosclerotic plaques in 38/41 (91%) cases was detected. The median T/nT ratio of focal {sup 99m}Tc-HYNIC-IL-2 uptake in atherosclerotic plaques was 2.35 (range 1.23-3.63). The mean IMT value on the side of plaques assessed by scintigraphy was 0.79 {+-} 0.18 mm (median 0.8, range 0.5-1.275). Correlations between T/nT ratio and homocysteine (R = 0.22, p = 0.037), apolipoprotein B (apoB) (R = 0.31, p = 0.008), apoB to apoA-I ratio (R = 0.29, p = 0.012) and triglyceride concentration (R = 0.26, p = 0.021) were detected. A lower T/nT ratio in patients with better parameters of nutritional status (haemoglobin, albumin, adiponectin) in comparison with patients with worse nutritional parameters (3.20 {+-} 0.5 vs 2.16 {+-} 0.68, p = 0.025) was revealed as well

Assessment of carotid plaque vulnerability using structural and geometrical determinants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Z.Y.; Tang, T.; U-King-Im, J.; Graves, M.; Gillard, J.H.; Sutcliffe, M.

2008-01-01

Because many acute cerebral ischemic events are caused by rupture of vulnerable carotid atheroma and subsequent thrombosis, the present study used both idealized and patient-specific carotid atheromatous plaque models to evaluate the effect of structural determinants on stress distributions within plaque. Using a finite element method, structural analysis was performed using models derived from in vivo high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of carotid atheroma in 40 non-consecutive patients (20 symptomatic, 20 asymptomatic). Plaque components were modeled as hyper-elastic materials. The effects of varying fibrous cap thickness, lipid core size and lumen curvature on plaque stress distributions were examined. Lumen curvature and fibrous cap thickness were found to be major determinants of plaque stress. The size of the lipid core did not alter plaque stress significantly when the fibrous cap was relatively thick. The correlation between plaque stress and lumen curvature was significant for both symptomatic (p=0.01; correlation coefficient: 0.689) and asymptomatic patients (p=0.01; correlation coefficient: 0.862). Lumen curvature in plaques of symptomatic patients was significantly larger than those of asymptomatic patients (1.50±1.0 mm -1 vs 1.25±0.75 mm -1 ; p=0.01). Specific plaque morphology (large lumen curvature and thin fibrous cap) is closely related to plaque vulnerability. Structural analysis using high-resolution MRI of carotid atheroma may help in detecting vulnerable atheromatous plaque and aid the risk stratification of patients with carotid disease. (author)

[Effect of Chinese drugs for activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis on carotid atherosclerosis and ischemic cerebrovascular events].

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Yan; Li, Tao

2014-03-01

To explore the effect of Chinese drugs for activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis (CDABCRBS) on carotid atherosclerotic plaque and long-term ischemic cerebrovascular events. By using open and control method, effect of 4 groups of platelet antagonists, platelet antagonists + CDABCRBS, platelet antagonists +atorvastatin, platelet antagonists +atorvastatin +CDABCRBS on carotid atherosclerotic plaque and long-term ischemic cerebrovascular events of 90 cerebral infarction patients were analyzed. Through survival analysis, there was no statistical difference in the effect of the 4 interventions on the variation of carotid stenosis rates or ischemic cerebrovascular events (P > 0.05). The occurrence of ischemic cerebrovascular events could be postponed by about 4 months in those treated with platelet antagonists + CDABCRBS and platelet antagonists + atorvastatin +CDABCRBS. By multivariate Logistic analysis, age, hypertension, and clopidogrel were associated with stenosis of extracranial carotid arteries (P cerebrovascular accidents (P cerebrovascular events. CDABCRBS could effectively prolong the occurrence time of ischemic cerebrovascular events.

Renal function and carotid atherosclerosis in adults with no known kidney disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Buscemi, S; Geraci, G; Massenti, F M; Buscemi, C; Costa, F; D'Orio, C; Rosafio, G; Buscemi, C; Maniaci, V; Parrinello, G

2017-03-01

A high prevalence of atherosclerotic lesions characterizes patients with chronic kidney disease, though there is little data on the relationship between kidney function and atherosclerotic changes in the healthy population or in people with no known renal impairment. The aim of our study was to analyze, in a comprehensive general population with no known kidney disease, the relationship between renal function and subclinical carotid atherosclerotic damage. A general real-life population of 611 participants (233 males and 378 females; age ≥18 years) with no known kidney failure was selected for the study. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was estimated according to the CKD-EPI equation. Carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT) and plaques were assessed by duplex Doppler ultrasonography of the carotid vessels. The main laboratory and metabolic parameters were evaluated in all participants. When we divided the overall study population into tertiles according to GFR values (I tertile 99 ml/min/1.73 m 2 ), the c-IMT mean values and the prevalence of carotid plaques decreased with the increasing tertile of GFR. On univariate analysis, c-IMT was significantly correlated with eGFR (r = -0.33; p < 0.001), serum creatinine (r = 0.17; p < 0.001), and other variables such as age, systolic blood pressure, waist circumference, fasting or random glycemia, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA 1 c). On multiple regression analysis, serum creatinine was associated with c-IMT (β = 0.069; p = 0.017), independent of other covariates. Our study seems to suggest the importance of early identification of people with near normal or mildly decreased renal function due to its association with carotid atherosclerosis. Copyright © 2016 The Italian Society of Diabetology, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition, and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights

Decreased hyperintense vessels on FLAIR images after endovascular recanalization of symptomatic internal carotid artery occlusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Wenhua; Yin Qin; Yao Lingling; Zhu Shuanggen; Xu Gelin; Zhang Renliang; Ke Kaifu; Liu Xinfeng

2012-01-01

Background and purpose: Hyperintense vessels (HV) on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images were assumed to be explained by slow antegrade or retrograde leptomeningeal collateral flow related to extracranial or intracranial artery steno-occlusion. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of recanalization after endovascular therapy of symptomatic internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion on the presence of HV. Methods: Eleven patients with symptomatic ICA occlusion were retrospectively enrolled. Changes in the HV on FLAIR images were examined in affected hemisphere of each patient after successful treatment with endovascular recanalization (angioplasty, n = 3; stent-assisted angioplasty, n = 8). The relationship between postoperative changes in the HV and Thrombolysis In Cerebral Ischemia (TICI) scale (I-III) was assessed. Results: After operation, HV of the 11 affected hemispheres were showed to be decreased (n = 3) or disappeared (n = 8) in treated side. The median interval between pre- and postoperative MRI examinations was 97.0 h (range, from 69. to 48.7 h). Of the 8 patients with disappeared HV, 7 achieved high TICI grade flow (III) and 1 had relatively low TICI grade flow (IIc) in treated side. However, all the 3 patients with decreased HV were found to be relatively low TICI grade flow (IIc). Conclusion: Our data indicate that endovascular recanalization of ICA occlusion was effective for decreasing HV. Postoperative decrease in HV can be considered as a marker for hemodynamic improvement.

Hypoxia, hypoxia-inducible transcription factor, and macrophages in human atherosclerotic plaques are correlated with intraplaque angiogenesis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sluimer, Judith C.; Gasc, Jean-Marie; van Wanroij, Job L.; Kisters, Natasja; Groeneweg, Mathijs; Sollewijn Gelpke, Maarten D.; Cleutjens, Jack P.; van den Akker, Luc H.; Corvol, Pierre; Wouters, Bradly G.; Daemen, Mat J.; Bijnens, Ann-Pascale J.

2008-01-01

We sought to examine the presence of hypoxia in human carotid atherosclerosis and its association with hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF) and intraplaque angiogenesis. Atherosclerotic plaques develop intraplaque angiogenesis, which is a typical feature of hypoxic tissue and expression of

Combined Atherosclerotic Lesions in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

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L.V. Khimion

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Significant prevalence of atherosclerosis and its complications in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM determines the need for further investigations of existing risk factors. Objective. To determine the effect of various risk factors on the development of atherosclerotic lesions in patients with type 2 DM. Materials and methods. The average levels of systolic blood pressure (SBP, HbA1c, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP, uric acid (UA, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL–C in the blood serum and the score by the anxiety and depression scale (HADRS compared to the evaluation of ultrasound data of atherosclerotic lesion of the carotid arteries (intima-media thickness ≥ 0.9 mm or the presence of atherosclerotic plaques and lower limb arteries (ankle-brachial index ≤ 0.9 were analyzed in 122 patients with type 2 DM (66 women, 56 men, mean age — 55.0 (49.8–62.0 years during 5-year follow-up. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 20. Results. During the study, patients were divided into 3 groups: group 1 — 48 people with atherosclerotic lesions of the carotid arteries and lower extremities, group 2 — 47 individuals with atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries, group 3 — 27 people with no signs of atherosclerotic lesion. It was found that in group 1 patients, the average levels of SBP (141.7 (132.1–152.9 mmHg, HbA1c (9.2 (8.2–9.9 %, hsCRP (5.8 (4.2–6.9 mg/L, UA (358.1 (302.4–396.1 μmol/L, LDL–C (4.1 (3.6–5.2 mmol/L, a score by HADRS (16.0 (9.0–18.8 points were significantly higher compared to that of in group 3 (SBP — 136.7 (128.3–143.3 mmHg, HbA1c — 7.7 (7.0–8.4 %, hsCRP — 2.7 (1.1–3.3 mg/L, UA — 276.8 (227.0–316.0 μmol/L, LDL–C — 3.3 (3.0–4.0 mmol/L, a score by HADRS (8.0 (7.0–10.0 points (p < 0.05. The average levels of HbA1c and hsCRP in group 1 patients were significantly higher compared with that of in group 2 (HbA1c — 8.7 (7.6–9

Extracranial Carotid Artery Stenting in Surgically High-Risk Patients Using the Carotid Wallstent Endoprosthesis:Midterm Clinical and Ultrasound Follow-Up Results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maleux, Geert; Bernaerts, Pauwel; Thijs, Vincent; Daenens, Kim; Vaninbroukx, Johan; Fourneau, Inge; Nevelsteen, Andre

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety and midterm outcome of elective implantation of the Carotid Wallstent (registered) in patients considered to be at high surgical risk. In a prospective study, 54 carotid artery stenoses in 51 patients were stented over a 24-month period. Three patients underwent bilateral carotid artery stenting. Institutional inclusion criteria for invasive treatment of carotid occlusive disease (carotid endarterectomy or carotid artery stenting) are patients presenting with a 70% or more symptomatic stenosis and those with an 80% or more asymptomatic stenosis having a life-expectancy of more than 1 year. All patients treated by carotid artery stenting were considered at high risk for carotid endarterectomy because of a hostile neck (17 patients-31.5%) or because of severe comorbidities (37 patients-68.5%). No cerebral protection device was used. Of the 54 lesions, 33 (61.1%) were symptomatic and 21 (38.8%) were asymptomatic. Follow-up was performed by physical examination and by duplex ultrasonography at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years after the procedure. All 54 lesions could be stented successfully without periprocedural stroke. Advert events during follow-up (mean 13.9 ± 5.7 months) were non-stroke-related death in 6 patients (11.1%), minor stroke in 4 stented hemispheres(7.4%), transient ipsilateral facial pain in 1 patient (1.8%),infection of the stented surgical patch in 1 patient (1.8%) and asymptomatic in stent restenosis in 4 patients (7.4%). The percutaneous implantation of the Carotid Wallstent (registered) , even without cerebral protection device, appears to be a safe procedure with acceptable clinical and ultrasonographic follow-up results in patients at high surgical risk. But some late adverse events such as ipsilateral recurrence of non-disabling (minor) stroke or in stent restenosis still remain real challenging problems

High shear stress relates to intraplaque haemorrhage in asymptomatic carotid plaques

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tuenter, A.; Selwaness, M.; Arias Lorza, A.

2016-01-01

estimating equations analysis, adjusting for age, sex and carotid wall thickness. RESULTS: The study group consisted of 93 atherosclerotic carotid arteries of 74 participants. In plaques with higher maximum shear stresses, IPH was more often present (OR per unit increase in maximum shear stress (log......BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Carotid artery plaques with vulnerable plaque components are related to a higher risk of cerebrovascular accidents. It is unknown which factors drive vulnerable plaque development. Shear stress, the frictional force of blood at the vessel wall, is known to influence plaque...... formation. We evaluated the association between shear stress and plaque components (intraplaque haemorrhage (IPH), lipid rich necrotic core (LRNC) and/or calcifications) in relatively small carotid artery plaques in asymptomatic persons. METHODS: Participants (n = 74) from the population-based Rotterdam...

Installation of carotid stent in a group of patient of high surgical risk for carotid endarterectomy - Preliminary experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomez Hoyos, Juan Fernando; Celis Mejia, Jorge Ignacio; Yepes Sanchez, Carlos Jaime; Duque Botero, Julieta

1998-01-01

Carotid endarterectomy success in symptomatic or asymptomatic patients has been demonstrated in NASCET and ACAS studies. Although, some patients with carotid stenosis have frequently other pathologies which increase risk in endarterectomy or other surgeries like coronary bypass and aortic-iliac reconstruction. Other patients have lesions such as post surgical restenosis, fibromuscular dysplasia, radiation stenosis or tumoral disease, or stenotic lesions above jaw angle. The main objectives of this work are: to demonstrate, upon the results, that multidisciplinary management of 1 patient with symptomatic or not carotid critical stenosis. Let to select, with strict clinical criteria, those doing well with endovascular therapy. To evaluate implantation technique, peryoperatory morbidity and mortality and permeability time with implanted dispositive. In this study, the preliminary experience of the neurovascular group at the Clinica Cardiovascular Santa Maria in Medellin is presented, during an 18 months period of multidisciplinary management in 15 patients, 7 men and 8 women with critical carotid stenosis. 18 procedures were performed and 21 stents were implanted. The mean age was 66 years. All patients had 70% or greater stenotic lesions, and 93.3% were symptomatic. Twelve (80%) had contraindications to perform surgery. one asymptomatic patient (6.6%) was referred with procedure indications and two (13.3%) requested the stent implantation as their own election. the patient with fibromuscular dysplasia was treated with Wallstent (number 4) and the remaining patients were treated with Palmaz stent. technical success was 100%, 3 patients had pacemaker rhythm, one patient (6.6%) presented extra-pyramidal syndrome which responded to medical treatment in 24 hours. one patient developed right side hemiparesis with total recovery in 4 hours. One patient with a critical left carotid artery stenosis presented right side hemiparesis (3/5) and aphasia, nine months later paresis

Acute Stroke and Obstruction of the Extracranial Carotid Artery Combined with Intracranial Tandem Occlusion: Results of Interventional Revascularization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lescher, Stephanie; Czeppan, Katja; Porto, Luciana; Singer, Oliver C.; Berkefeld, Joachim

2015-01-01

PurposeDue to high thrombus load, acute stroke patients with tandem obstructions of the extra- and intracranial carotid arteries or the middle cerebral artery show a very limited response to systemic thrombolysis. Interventional treatment with mechanical thrombectomy—often in combination with acute stenting of underlying atherosclerotic stenosis or dissection—is increasingly used. It has been shown that such complex interventions are technically feasible. The lack of optimal management strategies and clinical data encouraged us to review our acute stroke interventions in patient with anterior circulation tandem lesions to determine lesion patterns, interventional approaches, and angiographic or clinical outcomes.Patients and MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed a series of 39 consecutive patients with intracranial vessel occlusion of the anterior circulation simultaneously presenting with high-grade cervical internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis or occlusion.ResultsEmergency ICA stent implantation was technically feasible in all patients, and intracranial recanalization with TICI ≥ 2b was reached in a large number of patients (64 %). Good clinical outcomes (mRS ≤ 2 at 3 months) were achieved in one third of the patients (36 %). Symptomatic hemorrhages occurred in four patients (10 %). Mortality was 10 %.ConclusionEndovascular recanalization of acute cervical carotid artery occlusion was technically feasible in all patients, and resulted in high extra- and intracranial revascularization rates. A trend for favorable clinical outcome was seen in a higher TICI score, younger age, good collateral status, and combined IV rTPA and endovascular therapy

Analysis of the population at high risk of stroke detected with carotid artery ultrasonography in Tianjin urban communities

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Wei YUE

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Objective To investigate the features of carotid atherosclerosis in a population at high risk of stroke in urban communities of Tianjin, so as to provide inspiration for carotid ultrasonography to play a greater role in the prevention and control of stroke.  Methods A total of 956 residents at high risk of stroke were selected from 4 urban communities in Tianjin using cluster random sampling method. Doppler ultrasound screening was performed in bilateral common carotid artery (CCA, internal carotid artery (ICA, external carotid artery (ECA, vertebral artery (VA, subclavian artery (SCA and innominate artery of the population. The intima-media thickness (IMT, atherosclerotic plaque formation and its location and size, vascular stenosis or occlusion, and flow spectrum were detected. The results and features of carotid ultrasound screening were analyzed and compared among different gender and age groups.  Results 1 The detection rate of carotid atherosclerosis was 71.55% (684/956, and the detection rate in males was significantly higher than that in females (79.08% vs 65.87%; χ2 = 20.067, P = 0.000. 2 Among the population with carotid atherosclerosis, the most common manifestation was the formation of atherosclerotic plaques (81.58%, 558/684, secondly intima-media thickening (13.01%, 89/684, followed by moderate to severe stenosis or occlusion (5.41%, 37/684. The proportion of intima-media thickening in males was lower than that in females (7.08% vs 18.38%; χ2 = 19.269, P = 0.000. The proportion of carotid atherosclerotic plaque formation in males was higher than that in females (86.46% vs 77.16%; χ2 = 9.824, P = 0.002. The median rating of carotid atherosclerosis was 1.79, with males higher than females [1.98 (0.70, 3.26 vs 1.52 (0.20, 2.84; Z = 2.304, P = 0.042]. The site of plaque formation was most commonly located in carotid bulb (36.61%, secondly SCA (22.18%. Of the type of carotid stenosis, ICA stenosis was detected in 30 cases, VA

Endovascular treatment in proximal and intracranial carotid occlusion 9 hours after symptom onset

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jakubowska, Malgorzata M.; Michels, Peter; Mueller-Jensen, Axel; Leppien, Andreas; Eckert, Bernd

2008-01-01

A debate is emerging over whether the treatment time window in acute stroke can be extended beyond 6 h if penumbral tissue can be identified. Treatment decisions are very difficult in cases of tandem proximal carotid occlusion with arterioarterial intracranial embolism. We enter this debate with the present report on a case of atherosclerotic proximal carotid occlusion and resulting periocclusional carotid T embolism that was successfully treated 9 h after symptom onset. The case of a 68-year-old man with fluctuating symptoms of right-hemispheric stroke is presented (NIHSS score 12-20 on admission). CT angiography demonstrated proximal carotid occlusion and periocclusional embolism of the entire internal carotid artery (ICA) including the carotid T segment. Penumbral tissue was diagnosed by nonenhanced and perfusion CT imaging 7.5 h after symptom onset. Treatment was initiated 9 h after symptom onset by passing the proximal occlusion with a microcatheter and local administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) into the carotid T segment at the level of posterior communicating artery (PCoA) origin. Recanalization of the ICA and middle cerebral artery was accomplished within 1 h by flow establishment via the PCoA. The atherosclerotic proximal ICA occlusion was not stented due to the risk of embolism from remnant thrombi in the petrous and cavernous ICA segments. Follow-up MRI showed only mild haemorrhagic infarct transformation of the initial infarct core. The patient was discharged from hospital 18 days after treatment with NIHSS score 5. If penumbral tissue can be conclusively identified, endovascular treatment in proximal and intracranial tandem occlusion can be successful, even in treatments initiated 6-9 h after stroke onset. If the intracranial flow after recanalization can be established via the circle of Willis, the underlying proximal ICA occlusion may not require treatment. (orig.)

Endovascular treatment in proximal and intracranial carotid occlusion 9 hours after symptom onset

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jakubowska, Malgorzata M.; Michels, Peter; Mueller-Jensen, Axel [Asklepios Clinic Altona, Department of Neurology, Hamburg (Germany); Leppien, Andreas; Eckert, Bernd [Asklepios Clinic Altona, Department of Neuroradiology, Hamburg (Germany)

2008-07-15

A debate is emerging over whether the treatment time window in acute stroke can be extended beyond 6 h if penumbral tissue can be identified. Treatment decisions are very difficult in cases of tandem proximal carotid occlusion with arterioarterial intracranial embolism. We enter this debate with the present report on a case of atherosclerotic proximal carotid occlusion and resulting periocclusional carotid T embolism that was successfully treated 9 h after symptom onset. The case of a 68-year-old man with fluctuating symptoms of right-hemispheric stroke is presented (NIHSS score 12-20 on admission). CT angiography demonstrated proximal carotid occlusion and periocclusional embolism of the entire internal carotid artery (ICA) including the carotid T segment. Penumbral tissue was diagnosed by nonenhanced and perfusion CT imaging 7.5 h after symptom onset. Treatment was initiated 9 h after symptom onset by passing the proximal occlusion with a microcatheter and local administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) into the carotid T segment at the level of posterior communicating artery (PCoA) origin. Recanalization of the ICA and middle cerebral artery was accomplished within 1 h by flow establishment via the PCoA. The atherosclerotic proximal ICA occlusion was not stented due to the risk of embolism from remnant thrombi in the petrous and cavernous ICA segments. Follow-up MRI showed only mild haemorrhagic infarct transformation of the initial infarct core. The patient was discharged from hospital 18 days after treatment with NIHSS score 5. If penumbral tissue can be conclusively identified, endovascular treatment in proximal and intracranial tandem occlusion can be successful, even in treatments initiated 6-9 h after stroke onset. If the intracranial flow after recanalization can be established via the circle of Willis, the underlying proximal ICA occlusion may not require treatment. (orig.)

Complications and Follow-up after Unprotected Carotid Artery Stenting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hauth, Elke A.M.; Drescher, Robert; Jansen, Christian; Gissler, H. Martin; Schwarz, Michael; Forsting, Michael; Jaeger, Horst J.; Mathias, Klaus D.

2006-01-01

Purpose. This prospective study was undertaken to determine the success rate, complications, and outcome of carotid artery stenting (CAS) without the use of cerebral protection devices. Methods. During 12 months, 94 high-grade stenoses of the carotid artery in 91 consecutive patients were treated. Sixty-six (70%) of the stenoses were symptomatic and 28 (30%) were asymptomatic. Results. In all 94 carotid stenoses CAS was successfully performed. During the procedure and within the 30 days afterwards, there were 2 deaths and 3 major strokes in the 66 symptomatic patients, resulting in a combined death and stroke rate of 5 of 66 (7%). Only one of these complications, a major stroke, occurred during the procedure. In the 6-month follow-up, one additional major stroke occurred in a originally symptomatic patient resulting in a combined death and stroke rate of 6 of 66 (10%) for symptomatic patients at 6 months. No major complications occurred in asymptomatic patients during the procedure or in the 6-month follow-up period. At 6 months angiographic follow-up the restenosis rate with a degree of >50% was 3 of 49 (6%) and the rate with a degree of ≥70% was 1 of 49 (2%). Conclusions. Cerebral embolization during CAS is not the only cause of the stroke and death rate associated with the procedure. The use of cerebral protection devices during the procedure may therefore not prevent all major complications following CAS

Current global status of carotid artery stent placement.

Science.gov (United States)

Wholey, M H; Wholey, M; Bergeron, P; Diethrich, E B; Henry, M; Laborde, J C; Mathias, K; Myla, S; Roubin, G S; Shawl, F; Theron, J G; Yadav, J S; Dorros, G; Guimaraens, J; Higashida, R; Kumar, V; Leon, M; Lim, M; Londero, H; Mesa, J; Ramee, S; Rodriguez, A; Rosenfield, K; Teitelbaum, G; Vozzi, C

1998-05-01

Our purpose was to review the current status of carotid artery stent placement throughout the world. Surveys were sent to major interventional centers in Europe, North and South America, and Asia. Information from peer-reviewed journals was also included and supplemented the survey. The survey asked various questions regarding the patients enrolled, procedure techniques, and results of carotid stenting, including complications and restenosis. Of the centers which were sent surveys, 24 responded. The total number of endovascular carotid stent procedures that have been performed worldwide to date included 2,048 cases, with a technical success of 98.6%. Complications that occurred during carotid stent placement or within a 30-day period following placement were recorded. Overall, there were 63 minor strokes, with a rate of occurrence of 3.08%. The total number of major strokes was 27, for a rate of 1.32%. There were 28 deaths within a 30-day postprocedure period, resulting in a mortality rate of 1.37%. Restenosis rates of carotid stenting have been 4.80% at 6 mo. Endovascular stent treatment of carotid artery atherosclerotic disease is growing as an alternative to vascular surgery, especially for patients that are at high risk for standard carotid endarterectomy. The periprocedural risks for major and minor strokes and death are generally acceptable at this early stage of development.

Diagnóstico y tratamiento de la enfermedad carotídea aterosclerótica extracraneal asintomática Diagnosis and treatment of asymptomatic extracranial atherosclerotic carotid artery disease

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Luciano A. Sposato

2011-12-01

Full Text Available La enfermedad aterosclerótica asintomática de la arteria carótida interna extracraneal alcanza una prevalencia de hasta el 12.5%. La angioplastia carotídea todavía no ha demostrado ser lo suficientemente segura y eficaz para prevenir el ACV isquémico en estos pacientes. Estudios aleatorizados demostraron que la endarterectomía carotídea es superior al tratamiento médico en cuanto a reducción del riesgo de ACV isquémico si es realizada por equipos con tasas de complicaciones (ACV o muerte menores que 3%. Sin embargo, los pacientes evaluados en estos estudios comenzaron a reclutarse hace más de 25 años, cuando la utilización de antiagregantes plaquetarios era menor que la actual, el tratamiento de la hipertensión arterial era menos efectivo y todavía no se usaban estatinas como componentes fundamentales de los esquemas de prevención vascular. La optimización de la calidad del tratamiento médico en las últimas décadas ha llevado a una significativa reducción del riesgo de ACV en pacientes no intervenidos quirúrgicamente. En base a estas observaciones y con la excepción de casos específicos, el tratamiento médico es la opción terapéutica de elección en pacientes con enfermedad aterosclerótica carotídea extracraneal asintomática.The reported prevalence of asymptomatic atherosclerotic disease of the extracranial internal carotid artery is up to 12.5%. Carotid angioplasty has not yet proven safe and effective enough to prevent ischemic stroke in these patients. Randomized studies showed that carotid endarterectomy is superior to medical therapy in reducing the risk of ischemic stroke when performed by surgical teams with complication rates (stroke or death of less than 3%. However, recruitment of these patients began more than 25 years ago, when the use of antiplatelet agents was lower than today, the treatment of hypertension was less effective than currently, and statins were not considered as key components of

Is it possible to estimate cerebro–vascular risk on the basis of the composition of carotid atherosclerotic plaques?

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Pavel Poredoš

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Different models for the prediction of cardiovascular and cerebro-vascular events are used, based on the presence of risk factors. This is a statistical risk-assessment model. Recently, research has been focused on identifying indicators that would enable us to directly assess the risk in certain individuals. These indicators include the detection of the presence and composition of atherosclerotic plaques. Atherosclerotic plaques found in a majority of adults represent a potential cause of vascular complications. Recently, not only thestage of atherosclerotic plaques or the degree of arterial stenosis but also the knowledge of atherosclerotic plaque composition is gaining in importance. Particularly unstable plaques, which are prone to disintegration and the associatedthromboembolic complications, are considered dangerous. Therefore, recently intensive research has been underway to find methods that would enable us to identify the composition and in particular the biological activity of atherosclerotic plaques. Namely, the latter two features determine the stability of plaques or their proneness to rupture and disintegration. While classical angiography is invasive and associated with irradiation, it only provides information on the degree of vascular lumen stenosis but not also on vascular wall composition. Ultrasonography is a basic non-invasive imaging method, which also provides an insight into the composition of vascular wall, however, since mainly superficially situated arteries are accessible by US, its investigation potential in distinguishing between different tissue structures is rather limited. Recent computer programs for analysis of ultrasound images and quantifying various components of atherosclerotic plaques provide a more accurate determination of the composition of atherosclerotic plaques, but do not yield information on the biological activity of atherosclerotic lesions.A newer generation of imaging methods facilitates more

Comparison of semi-automated and manual measurements of carotid intima-media thickening.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Mac Ananey, Oscar

2014-01-01

Carotid intima-media thickening (CIMT) is a marker of both arteriosclerotic and atherosclerotic risks. Technological advances have semiautomated CIMT image acquisition and quantification. Studies comparing manual and automated methods have yielded conflicting results possibly due to plaque inclusion in measurements. Low atherosclerotic risk subjects (n = 126) were recruited to minimise the effect of focal atherosclerotic lesions on CIMT variability. CIMT was assessed by high-resolution B-mode ultrasound (Philips HDX7E, Phillips, UK) images of the common carotid artery using both manual and semiautomated methods (QLAB, Phillips, UK). Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the mean differences of paired measurements (Bland-Altman method) were used to compare both methodologies. The ICC of manual (0.547 ± 0.095 mm) and automated (0.524 ± 0.068 mm) methods was R = 0.74 and an absolute mean bias ± SD of 0.023 ± 0.052 mm was observed. Interobserver and intraobserver ICC were greater for automated (R = 0.94 and 0.99) compared to manual (R = 0.72 and 0.88) methods. Although not considered to be clinically significant, manual measurements yielded higher values compared to automated measurements. Automated measurements were more reproducible and showed lower interobserver variation compared to manual measurements. These results offer important considerations for large epidemiological studies.

Increased tissue factor, MMP-8, and D-dimer expression in diabetic patients with unstable advanced carotid atherosclerosis

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Jerzy Krupinski

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Jerzy Krupinski1,2, Marta M Turu1,2, M Angels Font1, Nesser Ahmed3, Matthew Sullivan3, Ana Luque1,2, Francisco Rubio1, Lina Badimon2, Mark Slevin31Department of Neurology, Stroke Unit, University Hospital of Bellvitge (HUB, Fundacio IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain; 2Cardiovascular Research Centre, IIBB/CSIC-HSCSP-UAB, Barcelona, Spain; 3School of Biology, Chemistry and Health Science, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United KingdomAbstract: Advanced atherogenesis is characterized by the presence of markers of enhanced prothrombotic capacity, attenuated fibrinolysis, and by clinical conditions associated with defective coagulation. Diabetes may be associated with enhanced lesion instability and atherosclerotic plaque rupture. Plaques obtained from 206 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy were divided into diabetic (type 2 and nondiabetic and analyzed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry to detect tissue factor (TF, metalloproteinases (MMP-2, -8, -9, and fibrin/fibrinogen related antigens, and in situ zymography to detect MMP activity. Plasma samples were quantified for TF procoagulant activity, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen and D-dimer. Diabetic and symptomatic patients with hypoechogenic plaques had increased plasma TF activity and D-dimer, compared with those with hyperechogenic plaques (p = 0.03, p = 0.007, respectively. Diabetic, symptomatic patients had higher plasma D-dimer levels than asymptomatic patients (p = 0.03. There was a significant correlation between intramural TF levels and D-dimer in diabetic patients with symptomatic disease (p = 0.001, r2 = 0.4. In diabetic patients, plasma fibrinogen levels were higher in patients with hypoechogenic plaques (p = 0.007. Diabetic patients with ulcerated plaques had higher plasma D-dimer and MMP-8 levels than those with fibrous plaques (p = 0.02, p = 0.01, respectively. This data suggests that currently available circulating markers may be clinically useful to select

Comparison of the Topography of Carotid Territory Stenosis in North American and Iranian Stroke Patients

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A Shoayb

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Atherosclerotic stenosis of carotid territory is the most common cause of ischemic stroke. A higher frequency of intracranial arterial stenosis has been reported in Africa and the Far East. Methods: 304 geriatric ischemic stroke patients admitted in Mackenzie hospital, Canada and the same number of geriatric ischemic stroke patients with similar sex ratio admitted in Valie-Asr hospital, Iran during 2003-2005 were enrolled in a double center and prospective study. Diagnosis of brain infarction in the carotid territory was made by stroke neurologists. All of the patients underwent transcranial and carotid doppler studies. Doppler studies performed were based on the standard method by a neurosonologist. Fisher exact test served for statistical analysis and p<0.05 was declared significant. Results: In Iranian group 71 patients (23.3% and in North American group 83 patients (27.3% had extracranial ICA stenosis without a significant difference df=1, p=0.305. Sever ³70% Extracranial ICA stenosis was found in 14 Iranian patients (4.6% and 23 North American patients (7.5% without a significant difference. df=1, p=0.17. In Iranian group, 14 cases (4.6% and in North American group 5 cases (1.6% had intracranial stenosis in carotid territory which was significantly different df=1, p=0.038. Mixed intracranial and extracranial carotid territory stenosis was present in 2 Iranian and 1 North American patient. Conclusion: Atherosclerotic stenosis of intracranial branches of carotid territory is more common in Iranian than North American populations.

Proteomic Profile of Unstable Atheroma Plaque: Increased Neutrophil Defensin 1, Clusterin, and Apolipoprotein E Levels in Carotid Secretome.

Science.gov (United States)

Aragonès, Gemma; Auguet, Teresa; Guiu-Jurado, Esther; Berlanga, Alba; Curriu, Marta; Martinez, Salomé; Alibalic, Ajla; Aguilar, Carmen; Hernández, Esteban; Camara, María-Luisa; Canela, Núria; Herrero, Pol; Ruyra, Xavier; Martín-Paredero, Vicente; Richart, Cristóbal

2016-03-04

Because of the clinical significance of carotid atherosclerosis, the search for novel biomarkers has become a priority. The aim of the present study was to compare the protein secretion profile of the carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CAP, n = 12) and nonatherosclerotic mammary artery (MA, n = 10) secretomes. We used a nontargeted proteomic approach that incorporated tandem immunoaffinity depletion, iTRAQ labeling, and nanoflow liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. In total, 162 proteins were quantified, of which 25 showed statistically significant differences in secretome levels between carotid atherosclerotic plaque and nondiseased mammary artery. We found increased levels of neutrophil defensin 1, apolipoprotein E, clusterin, and zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein in CAP secretomes. Results were validated by ELISA assays. Also, differentially secreted proteins are involved in pathways such as focal adhesion and leukocyte transendothelial migration. In conclusion, this study provides a subset of identified proteins that are differently expressed in secretomes of clinical significance.

MRI of the transplanted endothelial progenitor cells for prevent atherosclerotic plaque formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Zhanlong; Teng Gaojun; Mai Xiaoli; Chen Jun; Sun Junhui; Zhang Hongying; Yu Hui; Li Guozhao

2007-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging system to depict and track in vivo of magnetically labeled endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), and to study the possibility for preventing the atherosclerotic plaque formation in New Zealand rabbit model of carotid arterial injury after transplantation. Methods: New Zealand rabbit EPCs were isolated, confirmed, expanded and then incubated with home synthesized Fe 2 O 3 -PLL, Prussian blue stain was performed for showing intracellular irons. The model of carotid arterial injury was performed by 2.5F balloons, the group A of 8 rabbits received magnetically labeled EPCs, group B of 3 rabbits received fluorescent-labeled EPCs and the group C of 5 rabbits were given same volume saline injection after endothelial injury of the carotid artery. MR imaging and histology were performed and compared 4 days later for randomly chosen three rabbit, each from one of the three group; all the other rabbits were fed with high lipid diet and examed using MR imaging and histology after 15 weeks. Results: Epcs labeling efficiency was more than 95% by Prussian blue stain, 4 days after transplantation of EPCs, only in group A, the injured endothelium of carotid artery had signal intensity loss in T 2 * WI, which were correlated well with the area where the most Prussian blue staining positive cells were found in histopathology analyses. The rabbits of group A and B which received EPCs transplantation exhibited fewer plaques formation than those of the group C (P 2 O 3 -PLL. The 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging system could depict and monitor the magnetically labeled endothelial progenitor cells homing to the injured endothelium of the artery, and EPCs contribute to preventing atherosclerotic plaque formation in New Zealand rabbit model of atherosclerosis. (authors)

Magnetic resonance imaging and three-dimensional ultrasound of carotid atherosclerosis: mapping regional differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Krasinski, Adam; Chiu, Bernard; Fenster, Aaron; Parraga, Grace

2009-04-01

To evaluate differences in carotid atherosclerosis measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS). Ten subject volunteers underwent carotid 3DUS and MRI (multislice black blood fast spin echo, T1-weighted contrast, double inversion recovery, 0.5 mm in-plane resolution, 2 mm slice, 3.0 T) within 1 hour. 3DUS and MR images were manually segmented by two observers providing vessel wall and lumen contours for quantification of vessel wall volume (VWV) and generation of carotid thickness maps. MRI VWV (1040 +/- 210 mm(3)) and 3DUS VWV (540 +/- 110 mm(3)) were significantly different (P Power Doppler US confirmed that heterogeneity in the common carotid artery in all patients resulted from apparent flow disturbances, not atherosclerotic plaque. MRI and 3DUS VWV were significantly different and carotid maps showed homogeneous thickness differences and heterogeneity in specific regions of interest identified as MR flow artifacts in the common carotid artery.

Dose-Dependent Effect of Statin Pretreatment on Preventing the Periprocedural Complications of Carotid Artery Stenting.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Jeong-Ho; Sohn, Sung-Il; Kwak, Jaehyuk; Yoo, Joonsang; Chang, Hyuk Won; Kwon, O-Ki; Jung, Cheolkyu; Chung, Inyoung; Bae, Hee-Joon; Lee, Ji Sung; Han, Moon-Ku

2017-07-01

We investigated whether statin pretreatment can dose dependently reduce periprocedural complications in patients undergoing carotid artery stenting because of symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. We enrolled a consecutive series of 397 symptomatic carotid artery stenosis (≥50% stenosis on conventional angiography) treated with carotid artery stenting at 2 tertiary university hospitals over a decade. Definition of periprocedural complications included any stroke, myocardial infarction, and death within 1 month after or during the procedure. Statin pretreatment was divided into 3 categories according to the atorvastatin equivalent dose: none (n=158; 39.8%), standard dose (statin use were 12.0%, 4.5%, and 1.2%. After adjustment, a change in the atorvastatin dose category was associated with reduction in the odds of periprocedural complications for each change in dose category (standard-dose statin: odds ratio, 0.24; 95% confidence interval, 0.07-0.81; high-dose statin: odds ratio, 0.11; 95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.96; P for trend=0.01). Administration of antiplatelet drugs was also an independent factor in periprocedural complications (OR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.05-0.69). This study shows that statin pretreatment may reduce the incidence of periprocedural complications dose dependently in patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenting. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Self-Expandable Stenting over a Stent Graft for the Exclusion of a Carotid Stump: Troubleshooting for Device Incompatibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youn, Sung Won; Kim, Ho Kyun; Do, Jin Kook; Kim, Young Whan

2011-01-01

Carotid stump, the blind remnant of an occluded internal carotid artery, can be a potential source of microemboli, and warrants its exclusion from the vascular lumen to prevent the recurrence of a microembolism. In a 69-year-old male with a symptomatic carotid stump and acute angle between left common carotid artery and aortic arch, a 7-Fr. shuttle sheath was scarcely placed into the left carotid artery but the 7-mm-diameter stent-graft-loading balloon could not be inserted into the 7-Fr. shuttle sheath. With the mounting a stent graft over a 5-mm balloon, the balloon-expandable stent graft was unfolded. The self-expandable stent was placed over the stent graft, and an 8-mm balloon was subsequently expanded. Self-expanding stenting can be useful for troubleshooting in a case of device incompatibility coming from the different calibers of the external and common carotid arteries for the successful exclusion of a symptomatic carotid stump.

Self-Expandable Stenting over a Stent Graft for the Exclusion of a Carotid Stump: Troubleshooting for Device Incompatibility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Youn, Sung Won; Kim, Ho Kyun [Dept. of Radiology, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Do, Jin Kook [Dept. of Neurology, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Young Whan [Dept. of Radiology, University College of Medicine, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

2011-12-15

Carotid stump, the blind remnant of an occluded internal carotid artery, can be a potential source of microemboli, and warrants its exclusion from the vascular lumen to prevent the recurrence of a microembolism. In a 69-year-old male with a symptomatic carotid stump and acute angle between left common carotid artery and aortic arch, a 7-Fr. shuttle sheath was scarcely placed into the left carotid artery but the 7-mm-diameter stent-graft-loading balloon could not be inserted into the 7-Fr. shuttle sheath. With the mounting a stent graft over a 5-mm balloon, the balloon-expandable stent graft was unfolded. The self-expandable stent was placed over the stent graft, and an 8-mm balloon was subsequently expanded. Self-expanding stenting can be useful for troubleshooting in a case of device incompatibility coming from the different calibers of the external and common carotid arteries for the successful exclusion of a symptomatic carotid stump.

Spatial distribution of osteoblast-specific transcription factor Cbfa1 and bone formation in atherosclerotic arteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Bobryshev, Yuri V; Killingsworth, Murray C; Lord, Reginald S A

2008-08-01

The mechanisms of ectopic bone formation in arteries are poorly understood. Osteoblasts might originate either from stem cells that penetrate atherosclerotic plaques from the blood stream or from pluripotent mesenchymal cells that have remained in the arterial wall from embryonic stages of the development. We have examined the frequency of the expression and spatial distribution of osteoblast-specific factor-2/core binding factor-1 (Osf2/Cbfa1) in carotid and coronary arteries. Cbfa1-expressing cells were rarely observed but were found in all tissue specimens in the deep portions of atherosclerotic plaques under the necrotic cores. The deep portions of atherosclerotic plaques under the necrotic cores were characterized by the lack of capillaries of neovascularization. In contrast, plaque shoulders, which were enriched by plexuses of neovascularization, lacked Cbfa1-expressing cells. No bone formation was found in any of the 21 carotid plaques examined and ectopic bone was observed in only two of 12 coronary plaques. We speculate that the sparse invasion of sprouts of neovascularization into areas underlying the necrotic cores, where Cbfa1-expressing cells reside, might explain the rarity of events of ectopic bone formation in the arterial wall. This study has also revealed that Cbfa1-expressing cells contain alpha-smooth muscle actin and myofilaments, indicating their relationship with arterial smooth muscle cells.

Matrix vesicles in the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic plaque: possible contribution to plaque rupture.

Science.gov (United States)

Bobryshev, Y V; Killingsworth, M C; Lord, R S A; Grabs, A J

2008-10-01

Plaque rupture is the most common type of plaque complication and leads to acute ischaemic events such as myocardial infarction and stroke. Calcification has been suggested as a possible indicator of plaque instability. Although the role of matrix vesicles in the initial stages of arterial calcification has been recognized, no studies have yet been carried out to examine a possible role of matrix vesicles in plaque destabilization. Tissue specimens selected for the present study represented carotid specimens obtained from patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. Serial frozen cross-sections of the tissue specimens were cut and mounted on glass slides. The thickness of the fibrous cap (FCT) in each advanced atherosclerotic lesion, containing a well developed lipid/necrotic core, was measured at its narrowest sites in sets of serial sections. According to established criteria, atherosclerotic plaque specimens were histologically subdivided into two groups: vulnerable plaques with thin fibrous caps (FCT <100 microm) and presumably stable plaques, in which fibrous caps were thicker than 100 microm. Twenty-four carotid plaques (12 vulnerable and 12 presumably stable plaques) were collected for the present analysis of matrix vesicles in fibrous caps. In order to provide a sufficient number of representative areas from each plaque, laser capture microdissection (LCM) was carried out. The quantification of matrix vesicles in ultrathin sections of vulnerable and stable plaques revealed that the numbers of matrix vesicles were significantly higher in fibrous caps of vulnerable plaques than those in stable plaques (8.908+0.544 versus 6.208+0.467 matrix vesicles per 1.92 microm2 standard area; P= 0.0002). Electron microscopy combined with X-ray elemental microanalysis showed that some matrix vesicles in atherosclerotic plaques were undergoing calcification and were characterized by a high content of calcium and phosphorus. The percentage of calcified matrix vesicles

Carotid plaque age is a feature of plaque stability inversely related to levels of plasma insulin.

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Sara Hägg

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The stability of atherosclerotic plaques determines the risk for rupture, which may lead to thrombus formation and potentially severe clinical complications such as myocardial infarction and stroke. Although the rate of plaque formation may be important for plaque stability, this process is not well understood. We took advantage of the atmospheric (14C-declination curve (a result of the atomic bomb tests in the 1950s and 1960s to determine the average biological age of carotid plaques. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING: The cores of carotid plaques were dissected from 29 well-characterized, symptomatic patients with carotid stenosis and analyzed for (14C content by accelerator mass spectrometry. The average plaque age (i.e. formation time was 9.6±3.3 years. All but two plaques had formed within 5-15 years before surgery. Plaque age was not associated with the chronological ages of the patients but was inversely related to plasma insulin levels (p = 0.0014. Most plaques were echo-lucent rather than echo-rich (2.24±0.97, range 1-5. However, plaques in the lowest tercile of plaque age (most recently formed were characterized by further instability with a higher content of lipids and macrophages (67.8±12.4 vs. 50.4±6.2, p = 0.00005; 57.6±26.1 vs. 39.8±25.7, p<0.0005, respectively, less collagen (45.3±6.1 vs. 51.1±9.8, p<0.05, and fewer smooth muscle cells (130±31 vs. 141±21, p<0.05 than plaques in the highest tercile. Microarray analysis of plaques in the lowest tercile also showed increased activity of genes involved in immune responses and oxidative phosphorylation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results show, for the first time, that plaque age, as judge by relative incorporation of (14C, can improve our understanding of carotid plaque stability and therefore risk for clinical complications. Our results also suggest that levels of plasma insulin might be involved in determining carotid plaque age.

Caveolin-1 influences vascular protease activity and is a potential stabilizing factor in human atherosclerotic disease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan A Rodriguez-Feo

Full Text Available Caveolin-1 (Cav-1 is a regulatory protein of the arterial wall, but its role in human atherosclerosis remains unknown. We have studied the relationships between Cav-1 abundance, atherosclerotic plaque characteristics and clinical manisfestations of atherosclerotic disease.We determined Cav-1 expression by western blotting in atherosclerotic plaques harvested from 378 subjects that underwent carotid endarterectomy. Cav-1 levels were significantly lower in carotid plaques than non-atherosclerotic vascular specimens. Low Cav-1 expression was associated with features of plaque instability such as large lipid core, thrombus formation, macrophage infiltration, high IL-6, IL-8 levels and elevated MMP-9 activity. Clinically, a down-regulation of Cav-1 was observed in plaques obtained from men, patients with a history of myocardial infarction and restenotic lesions. Cav-1 levels above the median were associated with absence of new vascular events within 30 days after surgery [0% vs. 4%] and a trend towards lower incidence of new cardiovascular events during longer follow-up. Consistent with these clinical data, Cav-1 null mice revealed elevated intimal hyperplasia response following arterial injury that was significantly attenuated after MMP inhibition. Recombinant peptides mimicking Cav-1 scaffolding domain (Cavtratin reduced gelatinase activity in cultured porcine arteries and impaired MMP-9 activity and COX-2 in LPS-challenged macrophages. Administration of Cavtratin strongly impaired flow-induced expansive remodeling in mice. This is the first study that identifies Cav-1 as a novel potential stabilizing factor in human atherosclerosis. Our findings support the hypothesis that local down-regulation of Cav-1 in atherosclerotic lesions contributes to plaque formation and/or instability accelerating the occurrence of adverse clinical outcomes. Therefore, given the large number of patients studied, we believe that Cav-1 may be considered as a novel target

Guidelines for patient selection and performance of carotid artery stenting.

Science.gov (United States)

Bladin, Christopher; Chambers, Brian; New, Gishel; Denton, Michael; Lawrence-Brown, Michael

2010-06-01

The endovascular treatment of carotid atherosclerosis with carotid artery stenting (CAS) remains controversial. Carotid endarterectomy remains the benchmark in terms of procedural mortality and morbidity. At present, there are no consensus Australasian guidelines for the safe performance of CAS. We applied a modified Delphi consensus method of iterative consultation between the College representatives on the Carotid Stenting Guidelines Committee (CSGC). Selection of patients suitable for CAS needs careful consideration of clinical and patho-anatomical criteria and cannot be directly extrapolated from clinical indicators for carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Randomized controlled trials (including pooled analyses of results) comparing CAS with CEA for treatment of symptomatic stenosis have demonstrated that CAS is more hazardous than CEA. On current evidence, the CGSC therefore recommends that CAS should not be performed in the majority of patients requiring carotid revascularisation. The evidence for CAS in patients with symptomatic severe carotid stenosis who are considered medically high risk is weak, and there is currently no evidence to support CAS as a treatment for asymptomatic carotid stenosis. The use of distal protection devices during CAS remains controversial with increased risk of clinically silent stroke. The knowledge requirements for the safe performance of CAS include an understanding of the evidence base from randomized controlled trials, carotid and aortic arch anatomy and pathology, clinical stroke syndromes, the differing treatment options for stroke and carotid atherosclerosis, and recognition and management of periprocedural complications. It is critical that all patients being considered for a carotid intervention have adequate pre-procedural neuro-imaging and an independent, standardized neurological assessment before and after the procedure. Maintenance of proficiency in CAS requires active involvement in surgical/endovascular audit and

Stent-induced flow disturbances in the ipsilateral external carotid artery following internal carotid artery stenting: a temporary cause of jaw claudication.

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Giurgea, Georgiana-Aura; Haumer, Markus; Mlekusch, Irene; Sabeti-Sandor, Schila; Dick, Petra; Schillinger, Martin; Minar, Erich; Mlekusch, Wolfgang

2017-07-01

We hypothesize that stenting of the internal carotid artery can immediately impede blood flow to the external carotid artery by either plaque shift or stent coverage of the ostium, and thereby cause ischemic symptoms like ipsilateral jaw claudication. Thirty-three patients with high-grade asymptomatic stenosis of the internal carotid artery who underwent endovascular treatment were examined by ultrasound of the external carotid artery and performed an exercise test by chewing chewing gum synchronously to an electronic metronome for 3 min. Tests were performed before, the day after, and 1 week after the stenting procedure. Claudication time was defined as the timespan until occurrence of pain of the masseter muscle and/or chewing dyssynchrony to the metronome for more than 15 s. Ten patients with an isolated, atherosclerotic stenosis of the external carotid artery served as controls. A significantly reduced claudication time (in seconds) was recorded in patients who underwent carotid artery stenting compared to baseline values; median 89 (interquartile range, IQR, 57 to 124) vs. median 180 (IQR 153 to 180; p external carotid artery into faster or slower as 200 cm/sec, the effect was even accentuated. Stenting values showed improvement 1 week after but did not return to baseline levels. No respective changes were found in controls. Stenting of the internal carotid artery lead to ipsilateral flow deterioration at the external carotid artery resulting in temporary jaw claudication. This impairment attenuated over the time and was significantly reduced after 1 week.

Effect of androgen replacement therapy on atherosclerotic risk markers in young-to-middle-aged men with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.

Science.gov (United States)

Doğan, Berçem Ayçiçek; Karakılıç, Ersen; Tuna, Mazhar Müslüm; Arduç, Ayşe; Berker, Dilek; Güler, Serdar

2015-03-01

Idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is a rare disorder. This study evaluated the effect of androgen replacement therapy on atherosclerotic risk markers in young-to-middle-aged men with this disorder. Forty-three male patients aged 30 (range: 24-39 years) who were newly diagnosed with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and 20 age-, sex- and weight-matched controls (range: 26-39 years) were included in the study. Androgen replacement therapy was given according to the Algorithm of Testosterone Therapy in Adult Men with Androgen Deficiency Syndromes (2010; Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 95, 2536). The patients were assessed at a pretreatment visit and 3 and 6 months after the treatment. Inflammatory markers and lipid parameters were evaluated. Endothelial function was assessed with brachial flow-mediated dilation of a brachial artery and high-resolution ultrasonography of the carotid intima-media thickness. The carotid intima-media thickness (P hypogonadism compared to the control subjects at the pretreatment visit. There was a negative correlation between the total testosterone level and carotid intima-media thickness (r = -0·556, P = hypogonadism and that androgen replacement therapy significantly reduces atherosclerotic risk markers in these patients after 6 months. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Increased YKL-40 expression in patients with carotid atherosclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Michelsen, Axel Gottlieb; Rathcke, C.N.; Skjelland, M.

2010-01-01

atherosclerosis and 20 healthy controls. Carotid expression of YKL-40 was examined by real time RT-PCR in 57 of the patients. Regulation and effect of YKL-40 were examined in THP-1 monocytes. Results: Our main findings were: (1) serum YKL-40 levels were significantly elevated in patients with carotid...... atherosclerosis, with particularly high levels in those with symptomatic disease; (2) patients with recent ischemic symptoms (within 2 months) had higher YKL-40 mRNA levels in carotid plaque than other patients; (3) in vitro, the beta-adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol, toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 and TLR4...

Invasive treatment for carotid fibromuscular dysplasia

Science.gov (United States)

Maciejewski, Damian R.; Dzierwa, Karolina; Kabłak-Ziembicka, Anna; Michalski, Michał; Wójcik-Pędziwiatr, Magdalena; Brzychczy, Andrzej; Moczulski, Zbigniew; Żmudka, Krzysztof; Pieniążek, Piotr

2015-01-01

Introduction Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is an infrequent non-inflamatory disease of unknown etiology that affects mainly medium-size arteries. The prevalence of FMD among patients scheduled for endovascular treatment of carotid artery stenosis is unknown. Aim To evaluate the prevalence and treatment options of carotid FMD in patients scheduled for carotid artery stenting (CAS). Material and methods Between Jan 2001 and Dec 2013, 2012 CAS procedures were performed in 1809 patients (66.1% men; age 65.3 ±8.4 years, 49.2% symptomatic). In case of FMD suspicion in Doppler-duplex ultrasound (DUS), computed tomography angiography was performed for aortic arch and extracranial and intracranial artery imaging. For invasive treatment of FMD carotid stenosis, balloon angioplasty was considered first. If the result of balloon angioplasty was not satisfactory (> 30% residual stenosis, dissection), stent placement was scheduled. All patients underwent follow-up DUS and neurological examination 3, 6 and 12 months after angioplasty, then annually. Results There were 7 (0.4%) (4 symptomatic) cases of FMD. The FMD group was younger (47.9 ±7.5 years vs. 67.2 ±8.9 years, p = 0.0001), with higher prevalence of women (71.4% vs. 32.7%, p = 0.0422), a higher rate of dissected lesions (57.1% vs. 4.6%, p = 0.0002) and less severe stenosis (73.4% vs. 83.9%, p = 0.0070) as compared to the non-FMD group. In the non-FMD group the prevalence of coronary artery disease was higher (65.1% vs. 14.3% in FMD group, p = 0.009). All FMD patients underwent successful carotid artery angioplasty with the use of neuroprotection devices. In 4 cases angioplasty was supported by stent implantation. Conclusions Fibromuscular dysplasia is rare among patients referred for CAS. In case of significant FMD carotid stenosis, it may be treated with balloon angioplasty (stent supported if necessary) with optimal immediate and long-term results. PMID:26161104

Association between proximal internal carotid artery steno-occlusive disease and diffuse wall thickening in its petrous segment: a magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging study

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Chen, Xiaoyi; Li, Dongye [Capital Medical University and Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Center for Brain Disorders Research, Beijing (China); Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Center for Biomedical Imaging Research, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Beijing (China); Zhao, Huilin [Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai (China); Chen, Zhensen; Qiao, Huiyu; He, Le; Li, Rui [Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Center for Biomedical Imaging Research, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Beijing (China); Cui, Yuanyuan [PLA General Hospital, Department of Radiology, Beijing (China); Zhou, Zechen [Philips Research China, Healthcare Department, Beijing (China); Yuan, Chun [Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Center for Biomedical Imaging Research, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Beijing (China); University of Washington, Department of Radiology, Seattle, WA (United States); Zhao, Xihai [Tsinghua University School of Medicine, Center for Biomedical Imaging Research, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Beijing (China); Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Center for Stroke, Beijing (China)

2017-05-15

Significant stenosis or occlusion in carotid arteries may lead to diffuse wall thickening (DWT) in the arterial wall of downstream. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between proximal internal carotid artery (ICA) steno-occlusive disease and DWT in ipsilateral petrous ICA. Symptomatic patients with atherosclerotic stenosis (>0%) in proximal ICA were recruited and underwent carotid MR vessel wall imaging. The 3D motion sensitized-driven equilibrium prepared rapid gradient-echo (3D-MERGE) was acquired for characterizing the wall thickness and longitudinal extent of the lesions in petrous ICA and the distance from proximal lesion to the petrous ICA. The stenosis degree in proximal ICA was measured on the time-of-flight (TOF) images. In total, 166 carotid arteries from 125 patients (mean age 61.0 ± 10.5 years, 99 males) were eligible for final analysis and 64 showed DWT in petrous ICAs. The prevalence of severe DWT in petrous ICA was 1.4%, 5.3%, 5.9%, and 80.4% in ipsilateral proximal ICAs with stenosis category of 1%-49%, 50%-69%, 70%-99%, and total occlusion, respectively. Proximal ICA stenosis was significantly correlated with the wall thickness in petrous ICA (r = 0.767, P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that proximal ICA stenosis was independently associated with DWT in ipsilateral petrous ICA (odds ratio (OR) = 2.459, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.896-3.189, P < 0.001). Proximal ICA steno-occlusive disease is independently associated with DWT in ipsilateral petrous ICA. (orig.)

Association between proximal internal carotid artery steno-occlusive disease and diffuse wall thickening in its petrous segment: a magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Xiaoyi; Li, Dongye; Zhao, Huilin; Chen, Zhensen; Qiao, Huiyu; He, Le; Li, Rui; Cui, Yuanyuan; Zhou, Zechen; Yuan, Chun; Zhao, Xihai

2017-01-01

Significant stenosis or occlusion in carotid arteries may lead to diffuse wall thickening (DWT) in the arterial wall of downstream. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between proximal internal carotid artery (ICA) steno-occlusive disease and DWT in ipsilateral petrous ICA. Symptomatic patients with atherosclerotic stenosis (>0%) in proximal ICA were recruited and underwent carotid MR vessel wall imaging. The 3D motion sensitized-driven equilibrium prepared rapid gradient-echo (3D-MERGE) was acquired for characterizing the wall thickness and longitudinal extent of the lesions in petrous ICA and the distance from proximal lesion to the petrous ICA. The stenosis degree in proximal ICA was measured on the time-of-flight (TOF) images. In total, 166 carotid arteries from 125 patients (mean age 61.0 ± 10.5 years, 99 males) were eligible for final analysis and 64 showed DWT in petrous ICAs. The prevalence of severe DWT in petrous ICA was 1.4%, 5.3%, 5.9%, and 80.4% in ipsilateral proximal ICAs with stenosis category of 1%-49%, 50%-69%, 70%-99%, and total occlusion, respectively. Proximal ICA stenosis was significantly correlated with the wall thickness in petrous ICA (r = 0.767, P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that proximal ICA stenosis was independently associated with DWT in ipsilateral petrous ICA (odds ratio (OR) = 2.459, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.896-3.189, P < 0.001). Proximal ICA steno-occlusive disease is independently associated with DWT in ipsilateral petrous ICA. (orig.)

Linkages between oral commensal bacteria and atherosclerotic plaques in coronary artery disease patients.

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Chhibber-Goel, Jyoti; Singhal, Varsha; Bhowmik, Debaleena; Vivek, Rahul; Parakh, Neeraj; Bhargava, Balram; Sharma, Amit

2016-01-01

Coronary artery disease is an inflammatory disorder characterized by narrowing of coronary arteries due to atherosclerotic plaque formation. To date, the accumulated epidemiological evidence supports an association between oral bacterial diseases and coronary artery disease, but has failed to prove a causal link between the two. Due to the recent surge in microbial identification and analyses techniques, a number of bacteria have been independently found in atherosclerotic plaque samples from coronary artery disease patients. In this study, we present meta-analysis from published studies that have independently investigated the presence of bacteria within atherosclerotic plaque samples in coronary artery disease patients. Data were collated from 63 studies covering 1791 patients spread over a decade. Our analysis confirms the presence of 23 oral commensal bacteria, either individually or in co-existence, within atherosclerotic plaques in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy, catheter-based atherectomy, or similar procedures. Of these 23 bacteria, 5 ( Campylobacter rectus , Porphyromonas gingivalis , Porphyromonas endodontalis , Prevotella intermedia , Prevotella nigrescens ) are unique to coronary plaques, while the other 18 are additionally present in non-cardiac organs, and associate with over 30 non-cardiac disorders. We have cataloged the wide spectrum of proteins secreted by above atherosclerotic plaque-associated bacteria, and discuss their possible roles during microbial migration via the bloodstream. We also highlight the prevalence of specific poly-microbial communities within atherosclerotic plaques. This work provides a resource whose immediate implication is the necessity to systematically catalog landscapes of atherosclerotic plaque-associated oral commensal bacteria in human patient populations.

Whole body cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging to stratify symptomatic and asymptomatic atherosclerotic burden in patients with isolated cardiovascular disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weir-McCall, Jonathan R.; Duce, Suzanne L.; Gandy, Stephen J.; Matthew, Shona Z.; Martin, Patricia; Cassidy, Deirdre B.; McCormick, Lynne; Belch, Jill J. F.; Struthers, Allan D.; Colhoun, Helen M.; Houston, J. Graeme

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to use whole body cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (WB CVMR) to assess the heart and arterial network in a single examination, so as to describe the burden of atherosclerosis and subclinical disease in participants with symptomatic single site vascular disease. 64 patients with a history of symptomatic single site vascular disease (38 coronary artery disease (CAD), 9 cerebrovascular disease, 17 peripheral arterial disease (PAD)) underwent whole body angiogram and cardiac MR in a 3 T scanner. The arterial tree was subdivided into 31 segments and each scored according to the degree of stenosis. From this a standardised atheroma score (SAS) was calculated. Cine and late gadolinium enhancement images of the left ventricle were obtained. Asymptomatic atherosclerotic disease with greater than 50 % stenosis in arteries other than that responsible for their presenting complain was detected in 37 % of CAD, 33 % of cerebrovascular and 47 % of PAD patients. Unrecognised myocardial infarcts were observed in 29 % of PAD patients. SAS was significantly higher in PAD patients 24 (17.5-30.5) compared to CAD 4 (2–11.25) or cerebrovascular disease patients 6 (2-10) (ANCOVA p < 0.001). Standardised atheroma score positively correlated with age (β 0.36 p = 0.002), smoking status (β 0.34 p = 0.002), and LV mass (β -0.61 p = 0.001) on multiple linear regression. WB CVMR is an effective method for the stratification of cardiovascular disease. The high prevalence of asymptomatic arterial disease, and silent myocardial infarctions, particularly in the peripheral arterial disease group, demonstrates the importance of a systematic approach to the assessment of cardiovascular disease

High-risk plaque features can be detected in non-stenotic carotid plaques of patients with ischaemic stroke classified as cryptogenic using combined 18F-FDG PET/MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hyafil, Fabien; Schindler, Andreas; Obenhuber, Tilman; Saam, Tobias; Sepp, Dominik; Hoehn, Sabine; Poppert, Holger; Bayer-Karpinska, Anna; Boeckh-Behrens, Tobias; Hacker, Marcus; Nekolla, Stephan G.; Rominger, Axel; Dichgans, Martin; Schwaiger, Markus

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate in 18 patients with ischaemic stroke classified as cryptogenic and presenting non-stenotic carotid atherosclerotic plaques the morphological and biological aspects of these plaques with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 18 F-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography ( 18 F-FDG PET) imaging. Carotid arteries were imaged 150 min after injection of 18 F-FDG with a combined PET/MRI system. American Heart Association (AHA) lesion type and plaque composition were determined on consecutive MRI axial sections (n = 460) in both carotid arteries. 18 F-FDG uptake in carotid arteries was quantified using tissue to background ratio (TBR) on corresponding PET sections. The prevalence of complicated atherosclerotic plaques (AHA lesion type VI) detected with high-resolution MRI was significantly higher in the carotid artery ipsilateral to the ischaemic stroke as compared to the contralateral side (39 vs 0 %; p = 0.001). For all other AHA lesion types, no significant differences were found between ipsilateral and contralateral sides. In addition, atherosclerotic plaques classified as high-risk lesions with MRI (AHA lesion type VI) were associated with higher 18 F-FDG uptake in comparison with other AHA lesions (TBR = 3.43 ± 1.13 vs 2.41 ± 0.84, respectively; p < 0.001). Furthermore, patients presenting at least one complicated lesion (AHA lesion type VI) with MRI showed significantly higher 18 F-FDG uptake in both carotid arteries (ipsilateral and contralateral to the stroke) in comparison with carotid arteries of patients showing no complicated lesion with MRI (mean TBR = 3.18 ± 1.26 and 2.80 ± 0.94 vs 2.19 ± 0.57, respectively; p < 0.05) in favour of a diffuse inflammatory process along both carotid arteries associated with complicated plaques. Morphological and biological features of high-risk plaques can be detected with 18 F-FDG PET/MRI in non-stenotic atherosclerotic plaques ipsilateral to the stroke, suggesting a causal

Assessment of atherosclerotic plaque activity in patients with sleep apnea using hybrid positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI): a feasibility study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kundel, Vaishnavi; Trivieri, Maria Giovanna; Karakatsanis, Nicolas A; Robson, Phillip M; Mani, Venkatesh; Kizer, Jorge R; Kaplan, Robert; Fayad, Zahi; Shah, Neomi

2018-03-05

Evidence suggests that the inflammatory state of an atherosclerotic plaque is important in predicting future risk of plaque rupture. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of measuring plaque inflammation in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) utilizing advanced vascular imaging - hybrid positron-emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) tracer-before and after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Patients with newly diagnosed moderate to severe OSA underwent baseline PET/MRI for assessment of vascular inflammation of the carotid arteries and thoracic aorta prior to initiation of CPAP. Those adherent to CPAP returned for repeat imaging after 3-6 months of CPAP use. Atherosclerotic plaque activity, as measured by arterial wall FDG uptake, was calculated using target-to-background ratios (TBR) before and after CPAP. Five patients were recruited as part of a focused project. Mean age was 52 years (80% male), and mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 33. Three patients were objectively adherent with CPAP. In the pre-CPAP phase, all patients had focal FDG uptake in the carotid arteries and aorta. After CPAP, there was an average reduction in TBR of 5.5% (TBR mean ) and 6.2% (TBR max ) in carotid and aortic plaque inflammation, similar in magnitude to the reduction observed with statin therapy alone in non-OSA patients (previously reported by others). We demonstrate the feasibility of using hybrid PET/MRI to assess atherosclerotic plaque inflammation in patients with OSA before and after CPAP. Use of the vascular PET/MRI platform in patients with OSA may provide better insight into the role of OSA and its treatment in reducing atherosclerotic inflammation.

Association between Carotid Intima Media Thickness and Heart Rate Variability in Adults at Increased Cardiovascular Risk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ovidiu C. Baltatu

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Atherosclerotic carotid intima-media thickness (IMT may be associated with alterations in the sensitivity of carotid baroreceptors. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between carotid IMT and the autonomic modulation of heart rate variability (HRV.Methods: A total of 101 subjects were enrolled in this prospective observational study. The carotid IMT was determined by duplex ultrasonography. The cardiac autonomic function was determined through HRV measures during the Deep Breathing Test. Linear regression models, adjusted for demographics, comorbidities, body mass index, waist-hip-ratio, and left ventricular ejection fraction were used to evaluate the association between HRV parameters and carotid IMT.Results: Participants had a mean age of 60.4 ± 13.4 years and an estimated 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD risk score (using the Pooled Cohort Equations of 16.4 ± 17. The mean carotid media thickness was highest (0.90 ± 0.19 mm in the first quartile of the standard deviation of all RR intervals (SDNN (19.7 ± 5.1 ms and progressively declined in each subsequent quartile to 0.82 ± 0.21 mm, 0.81 ± 0.16 mm, and 0.68 ± 0.19 in quartiles 2 (36.5 ± 5.9 ms, 3 (57.7 ± 6.2 ms and 4 (100.9 ± 22.2 ms, respectively. In multivariable adjusted models, there was a statistical significant association between SDNN and carotid IMT (OR −0.002; 95%CI −0.003 to −0.001, p = 0.005. The same significant association was found between carotid IMT and other measures of HRV, including coefficient of variation of RR intervals (CV and dispersion of points along the line of identity (SD2.Conclusions: In a cohort of individuals at increased cardiovascular risk, carotid IMT as a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis was associated with alterations of HRV indicating an impaired cardiac autonomic control, independently of other cardiovascular risk factors.

Atherosclerotic vessel damage in systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid syndrome in men

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A. I. Iljina

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To study prevalence of clinical and subclinical atherosclerosis signs in men with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE and antiphospholipid syndrome, to assess relationship between atherosclerotic vessel damage, risk factors, CRP and anti-cardiolipin antibodies (АСА Material and methods. 62 pts were included. Mean age was 35,7+11,6 years, mean disease duration - 129,3± 102 months. Traditional and related to the disease risk factors were analyzed. To reveal atherosclerotic vessel damage carotid sonographic examination was performed. Serum CRP concentration was evaluated by high sensitivity nephelometric immunoassay. IgG and IgM АСА were assessed by solid-phase immuno-enzyme assay. Results. Sonographic signs of carotid damage was revealed in 58% of pts, clinical signs of atherosclerosis - in 42%. Pts were divided into two groups according to intima-media complex thickness (IMCT. Group I included 36 pts with atherosclerotic vessel damage signs (IMCT?0,9 mm. Group 2-26 pts with IMCT<0,9 mm. Mean age at the examination, age of disease onset, disease duration, smoking frequency damage index in group I pts were higher than in group 2 pts. Mean CRP concentration in atherosclerosis group was significantly higher than in group 2 (p=0,007. 19 pts had APS signs. 43 pts did not. CRP level significantly correlated with IMCT in SLE pts with and without APS (p<0,05. Pts with atherosclerosis had higher IgG АСА level though the differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion. Men with SLE with or without APS have high risk of atherosclerosis development. CRP elevation is associated with IMCT increase.

Molecular magnetic resonance imaging of atherosclerotic vessel wall disease

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Noerenberg, Dominik [Charite - University Medicine Berlin, Department of Radiology, Berlin (Germany); University of Munich - Grosshadern, Department of Clinical Radiology, Munich (Germany); Ebersberger, Hans U. [Heart Center Munich-Bogenhausen, Department of Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Munich (Germany); Diederichs, Gerd; Hamm, Bernd [Charite - University Medicine Berlin, Department of Radiology, Berlin (Germany); Botnar, Rene M. [King' s College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, London (United Kingdom); Makowski, Marcus R. [Charite - University Medicine Berlin, Department of Radiology, Berlin (Germany); King' s College London, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, London (United Kingdom)

2016-03-15

Molecular imaging aims to improve the identification and characterization of pathological processes in vivo by visualizing the underlying biological mechanisms. Molecular imaging techniques are increasingly used to assess vascular inflammation, remodeling, cell migration, angioneogenesis and apoptosis. In cardiovascular diseases, molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers new insights into the in vivo biology of pathological vessel wall processes of the coronary and carotid arteries and the aorta. This includes detection of early vascular changes preceding plaque development, visualization of unstable plaques and assessment of response to therapy. The current review focuses on recent developments in the field of molecular MRI to characterise different stages of atherosclerotic vessel wall disease. A variety of molecular MR-probes have been developed to improve the non-invasive detection and characterization of atherosclerotic plaques. Specifically targeted molecular probes allow for the visualization of key biological steps in the cascade leading to the development of arterial vessel wall lesions. Early detection of processes which lead to the development of atherosclerosis and the identification of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques may enable the early assessment of response to therapy, improve therapy planning, foster the prevention of cardiovascular events and may open the door for the development of patient-specific treatment strategies. (orig.)

Molecular magnetic resonance imaging of atherosclerotic vessel wall disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noerenberg, Dominik; Ebersberger, Hans U.; Diederichs, Gerd; Hamm, Bernd; Botnar, Rene M.; Makowski, Marcus R.

2016-01-01

Molecular imaging aims to improve the identification and characterization of pathological processes in vivo by visualizing the underlying biological mechanisms. Molecular imaging techniques are increasingly used to assess vascular inflammation, remodeling, cell migration, angioneogenesis and apoptosis. In cardiovascular diseases, molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers new insights into the in vivo biology of pathological vessel wall processes of the coronary and carotid arteries and the aorta. This includes detection of early vascular changes preceding plaque development, visualization of unstable plaques and assessment of response to therapy. The current review focuses on recent developments in the field of molecular MRI to characterise different stages of atherosclerotic vessel wall disease. A variety of molecular MR-probes have been developed to improve the non-invasive detection and characterization of atherosclerotic plaques. Specifically targeted molecular probes allow for the visualization of key biological steps in the cascade leading to the development of arterial vessel wall lesions. Early detection of processes which lead to the development of atherosclerosis and the identification of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques may enable the early assessment of response to therapy, improve therapy planning, foster the prevention of cardiovascular events and may open the door for the development of patient-specific treatment strategies. (orig.)

High-risk plaque features can be detected in non-stenotic carotid plaques of patients with ischaemic stroke classified as cryptogenic using combined {sup 18}F-FDG PET/MR imaging

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Hyafil, Fabien [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich (Germany); Bichat University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Paris (France); Schindler, Andreas; Obenhuber, Tilman; Saam, Tobias [Ludwig Maximilians University Hospital Munich, Institute for Clinical Radiology, Munich (Germany); Sepp, Dominik; Hoehn, Sabine; Poppert, Holger [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich (Germany); Bayer-Karpinska, Anna [Ludwig Maximilians University Hospital Munich, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, Munich (Germany); Boeckh-Behrens, Tobias [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Munich (Germany); Hacker, Marcus [Medical University of Vienna, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Vienna (Austria); Nekolla, Stephan G. [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich (Germany); Partner Site Munich Heart Alliance, German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich (Germany); Rominger, Axel [Ludwig Maximilians University Hospital Munich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Munich (Germany); Dichgans, Martin [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich (Germany); Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich (Germany); Schwaiger, Markus [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Munich (Germany)

2016-02-15

The aim of this study was to investigate in 18 patients with ischaemic stroke classified as cryptogenic and presenting non-stenotic carotid atherosclerotic plaques the morphological and biological aspects of these plaques with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and {sup 18}F-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography ({sup 18}F-FDG PET) imaging. Carotid arteries were imaged 150 min after injection of {sup 18}F-FDG with a combined PET/MRI system. American Heart Association (AHA) lesion type and plaque composition were determined on consecutive MRI axial sections (n = 460) in both carotid arteries. {sup 18}F-FDG uptake in carotid arteries was quantified using tissue to background ratio (TBR) on corresponding PET sections. The prevalence of complicated atherosclerotic plaques (AHA lesion type VI) detected with high-resolution MRI was significantly higher in the carotid artery ipsilateral to the ischaemic stroke as compared to the contralateral side (39 vs 0 %; p = 0.001). For all other AHA lesion types, no significant differences were found between ipsilateral and contralateral sides. In addition, atherosclerotic plaques classified as high-risk lesions with MRI (AHA lesion type VI) were associated with higher {sup 18}F-FDG uptake in comparison with other AHA lesions (TBR = 3.43 ± 1.13 vs 2.41 ± 0.84, respectively; p < 0.001). Furthermore, patients presenting at least one complicated lesion (AHA lesion type VI) with MRI showed significantly higher {sup 18}F-FDG uptake in both carotid arteries (ipsilateral and contralateral to the stroke) in comparison with carotid arteries of patients showing no complicated lesion with MRI (mean TBR = 3.18 ± 1.26 and 2.80 ± 0.94 vs 2.19 ± 0.57, respectively; p < 0.05) in favour of a diffuse inflammatory process along both carotid arteries associated with complicated plaques. Morphological and biological features of high-risk plaques can be detected with {sup 18}F-FDG PET/MRI in non-stenotic atherosclerotic plaques ipsilateral

A Comparison of Stent Implant versus Medical Treatment for Severe Symptomatic Intracranial Stenosis: A Controlled Clinical Trial

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Rezao Mohammadian

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Atherosclerotic stenosis of the major intracranial arteries is the most common cause of ischemic stroke. There are limited treatments for severe intracranial stenosis, and stent placement versus medical treatment remains controversial. The aim of this study was to compare functional outcomes of these two modalities in patients with severe symptomatic intracranial stenosis. Methods: At a single center, between 2008 and 2011, patients with angiographically demonstrated severe (70–90% symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis were divided into two groups: group A, which received only medical treatment, and group B, which underwent endovascular stent implant treatment. The severity and location of the stenosis was determined by digital subtraction angiography and the Warfarin-Aspirin Symptomatic Intracranial Disease (WASID trial criteria in all patients. The exclusion criteria were: specific causes other than atherosclerosis, such as artery dissection, fibromuscular dysplasia, vasculitis, radiation and intracranial hemorrhage, focal neurological deficit that did not correlate to internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery stenosis. All procedures were done under light anesthesia. Technical success was defined as the reduction of stenosis to Results: Overall, 63 patients (29 in group A and 34 in group B were evaluated and followed for a mean period of 15.22 months (range 6–25. The technical success rate was 97% in a total of 34 stents in 34 patients. There was no difference between the early (within 30 days adverse event rates of the two groups. The median follow-up duration for the stent implant patients was 15 months (range 6–25, and for the medically treated cohort it was 14 months (range 8–25. The re-stenosis rate was 5.8% and the total number of late (>30 days adverse events, including stroke, myocardial infarction and death, was 1 (2.9% and 6 (20.7% in the stent implant and medical groups, respectively (p = 0.042. The

Characterization of plaque in the internal carotid artery. Comparison neuroradiological findings with pathological findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishikawa, Misao; Nishio, Akimasa; Takami, Toshihiro; Goto, Takeo; Ueda, Makiko; Hara, Mitsuhiro

2006-01-01

We evaluate the morphology of the carotid plaque using echogram, CT scan and MRI and compare those neuroradiological findings with histological findings of the plaque. We evaluated 14 cases operated with carotid endoarterectomy for carotid stenosis. We estimated the findings of the echogram, enhanced CT scan and black blood MRI (BB MRI), in comparison with the histological findings of the carotid plaque. Echogram, enhanced CT scan and MRI clearly demonstrated the plaque in cervical carotid stenosis. In most cases, echograms could show the plaque, but in some cases could not due to the back shadow caused by plaque calcification. Enhanced CT scan clearly demonstrated the calcification and the neovasculization in plaque. BB MRI clearly showed the carotid plaque. Low-intensity lesions in T1 and T2 weighted images showed hard and fibrous plaque. High-intensity lesions in T1 and T2 weighted images showed soft plaque with lipoprotein and/or hemorrhage. This study demonstrates the potential of a systemic approach to atherosclerotic plaque with enhanced CT scan and BB MRI compared with histological findings of the carotid plaque. These estimations elucidate the growth mechanism of carotid plaque. (author)

HDL mimetic CER-001 targets atherosclerotic plaques in patients.

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Zheng, Kang He; van der Valk, Fleur M; Smits, Loek P; Sandberg, Mara; Dasseux, Jean-Louis; Baron, Rudi; Barbaras, Ronald; Keyserling, Constance; Coolen, Bram F; Nederveen, Aart J; Verberne, Hein J; Nell, Thijs E; Vugts, Danielle J; Duivenvoorden, Raphaël; Fayad, Zahi A; Mulder, Willem J M; van Dongen, Guus A M S; Stroes, Erik S G

2016-08-01

Infusion of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) mimetics aimed at reducing atherosclerotic burden has led to equivocal results, which may relate in part to the inability of HDL mimetics to adequately reach atherosclerotic lesions in humans. This study evaluated delivery of recombinant human apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) containing HDL mimetic CER-001 in carotid plaques in patients. CER-001 was radiolabeled with the long-lived positron emitter zirconium-89 ((89)Zr) to enable positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging. Eight patients with atherosclerotic carotid artery disease (>50% stenosis) received a single infusion of unlabeled CER-001 (3 mg/kg), co-administered with 10 mg of (89)Zr-labeled CER-001 (18 MBq). Serial PET/CT imaging and contrast enhanced-magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) were performed to evaluate targeted delivery of CER-001. One hour after infusion, mean plasma apoA-I levels increased by 9.9 mg/dL (p = 0.026), with a concomitant relative increase in the plasma cholesterol efflux capacity of 13.8% (p CER-001 expressed as target-to-background ratio (TBRmax) increased significantly 24 h after infusion, and remained increased up to 48 h (TBRmax t = 10 min: 0.98; t = 24 h: 1.14 (p = 0.001); t = 48 h: 1.12 (p = 0.007)). TBRmax was higher in plaque compared with non-plaque segments (1.18 vs. 1.05; p CER-001 increases plasma apoA-I concentration and plasma cholesterol efflux capacity. Our data support the concept that CER-001 targets plaque regions in patients, which correlates with plaque contrast enhancement. These clinical findings may also guide future nanomedicine development using HDL particles for drug delivery in atherosclerosis. Netherlands Trial Registry - NTR5178. http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=5178. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Carotid Artery Stenting in a Patient with Spontaneous Recanalization of a Proximal Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion: a Case Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Eui Jong; Koh, Jun Seok; Choi, Woo Suk

2006-01-01

We report here on a rare case of carotid artery angioplasty and stenting in a patient with spontaneous recanalization after complete occlusion of the proximal internal carotid artery (ICA). The patient initially showed severe stenosis at the left proximal ICA on MR angiography (MRA). Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) performed three days after MRA showed complete occlusion of the proximal ICA. The follow-up DSA after four weeks showed recanalization of the ICA, and then carotid artery stenting was successfully performed. There has been no neurologic complication during more than one year follow-up. cute internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusions may result in profound disability and death (1). An occluded ICA can spontaneously recanalize, but this doesn't happen frequently, and the natural course of a proximal ICA occlusion and its possibility of recanalization, including the exact time of recanalization after occlusion, are not well known (2, 3). A few studies have reported the incidence of spontaneous recanalization of the proximal internal carotid artery, which has mostly occurred in patients with ICA dissections (4 6). A few limited studies have reported a considerable incidence of spontaneous recanalization in patients with underlying atherosclerotic lesion or atherothombotic diseases (2). The possibility of repeated occlusion and repeated cerebral ischemic infarction may exist for the patients exhibiting spontaneous recanalization of the ICA and underlying atherosclerosis. We report here on a case of carotid artery stenting (CAS) in a patient who exhibited underlying atherosclerosis with spontaneous recanalization after complete occlusion of the proximal ICA

Cerebral and extracerebral vasoreactivity in symptomatic lacunar stroke patients: a case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Deplanque, Dominique; Lavallee, Philippa C; Labreuche, Julien; Gongora-Rivera, Fernando; Jaramillo, Arturo; Brenner, David; Abboud, Halim; Klein, Isabelle F; Touboul, Pierre-Jean; Vicaut, Eric; Amarenco, Pierre

2013-08-01

Whether cerebral artery endothelial dysfunction is a key factor of symptomatic lacunar stroke and cerebral small vessel disease remains unclear. Cerebral and extracerebral vasoreactivity were measured in 81 patients with recent symptomatic lacunar stroke and in 81 control subjects matched for main vascular risk factors. Cerebral vasoreactivity and carotid endothelial-dependent vasodilation were measured after five-minutes of carbon dioxide-induced hypercapnia. Brachial endothelial-dependent vasodilation was assessed after hyperemia induced by deflating a cuff around the forearm previously inflated to 200 mmHg for four-minutes. Carotid and brachial endothelial-independent vasodilation were measured five-minutes after administration of sublingual nitroglycerin 300 μg. Brain magnetic resonance imaging were analyzed in lacunar stroke patients. One-month after stroke onset, patients had more severely impaired cerebral vasoreactivitys than matched controls (mean ± standard deviation, 14·4 ± 12·1% vs. 19·4 ± 17·4%; P = 0·049). Severe alterations of both carotid and brachial endothelial-dependent and at a lesser degree of carotid and brachial endothelial-independent vasodilation were observed in both groups. After adjustment for confounders, subjects with a cerebral vasoreactivity value in the two lower tertiles (≤19·6%) were more likely to have had a symptomatic lacunar stroke (adjusted odds ratio, 3·78; 95% confidence interval, 1·42 to 10·08; P = 0·008). Only alteration of brachial endothelial-independent vasodilation correlated with parenchymal abnormalities, namely microbleeds and leukoaraiosis. While abnormalities in extracerebral vasoreactivity seem related to vascular risk factors, the severity of endothelial dysfunction in cerebral arteries may be determinant in the occurrence of symptomatic lacunar stroke in patients with small vessel disease. © 2012 The Authors. International Journal of Stroke © 2012 World Stroke

Carotid Web (Intimal Fibromuscular Dysplasia) Has High Stroke Recurrence Risk and Is Amenable to Stenting.

Science.gov (United States)

Haussen, Diogo C; Grossberg, Jonathan A; Bouslama, Mehdi; Pradilla, Gustavo; Belagaje, Samir; Bianchi, Nicolas; Allen, Jason W; Frankel, Michael; Nogueira, Raul G

2017-11-01

Carotid webs have been increasingly recognized as a cause of recurrent stroke, but evidence remains scarce. We aim to report the clinical outcomes and first series of carotid stenting in a cohort of patients with strokes from symptomatic carotid webs. Prospective and consecutive data of patients web was defined by a shelf-like/linear filling defect in the posterior internal carotid artery bulb by computed tomographic angiography. Twenty-four patients were identified (91.6% strokes/8.4% transient ischemic attacks [TIAs]). Median age was 46 (41-59) years, 61% were female, and 75% were black. Median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 10.5 (3.0-16.0) and ASPECTS (Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score) was 8 (7-8). There were no parenchymal hemorrhages, and 96% of patients were independent at 3 months. All webs caused webs (58%), median ipsilateral web length was larger than contralateral (3.1 [3.0-4.5] mm versus 2.6 [1.85-2.9] mm; P =0.01), respectively. Twenty-nine percent of patients had thrombus superimposed on the symptomatic carotid web. A recurrent stroke/TIA involving the territory of the previously symptomatic web occurred in 7 (32%; 6 strokes/1 TIA) patients: 3 1 year of follow-up. Two recurrences occurred on dual antiplatelet therapy, 3 on antiplatelet monotherapy, 1 within 24 hours of thrombolysis, and 1 off antithrombotics. Median follow-up was 12.2 (8.0-18.0) months. Sixteen (66%) patients were stented at a median 12.2 (7.0-18.7) days after stroke with no periprocedural complications. No recurrent strokes/TIAs occurred in stented individuals (median follow-up of 4 [2.4-12.0] months). Carotid web is associated with high recurrent stroke/TIA risk, despite antithrombotic use, and is amenable to carotid stenting. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

A CT study of the prevalence of carotid artery calcification in dental patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Suk Ja; Lee, Jae Seo; Yoon, Woong

2006-01-01

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in Korea. Atherosclerotic disease in the carotid artery bifurcation is the most common cause of stroke. The carotid artery calcification is easily appreciated by CT(Computed tomography). CT is often taken in a dental hospital for the diagnosis of inflammation. injury, cyst or tumor on maxillofacial region. However, there was no report of carotid artery calcification on CT in dental patients. The presence of carotid artery calcification was evaluated by an experienced radiologist on CT scans of 287 patients (166 males, 121 females, average age 42, range 6 to 86 years) and the medical history of the patient and the interpretation of CT were reviewed. Carotid artery calcification was detected on CT scans of 57 patients (19.8%; 35 males, 22 females). All the male patients with carotid artery calcification were older than 50, and all the female patients with carotid artery calcification were older than 60. Among the 57 patients, 10 had Diabetes mellitus, 20 had cardiovascular disease, 3 had history of stroke and 3 underwent radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. Carotid artery calcification was not included in the interpretation of CT of dental patients except one patient. The prevalence of carotid artery calcification on CT of dental patients was about 20% in this study. Carotid artery calcification should be included in the interpretation of CT of dental patients

Reliability of perfusion MR imaging in symptomatic carotid occlusive disease. Cerebral blood volume, mean transit time and time-to-peak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, J.H.; Lee, E.J.; Lee, S.J.; Choi, N.C.; Lim, B.H.; Shin, T.

2002-01-01

Purpose: Perfusion MR imaging offers an easy quantitative evaluation of relative regional cerebral blood volume (rrCBV), relative mean transit time (rMTT) and time-to-peak (TTP). The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability of these parameters in assessing the hemodynamic disturbance of carotid occlusive disease in comparison with normative data. Material and Methods: Dynamic contrast-enhanced T2*-weighted perfusion MR imaging was performed in 19 patients with symptomatic unilateral internal carotid artery occlusion and 20 control subjects. The three parameters were calculated from the concentration-time curve fitted by gamma-variate function. Lesion-to-contralateral ratios of each parameter were compared between patients and control subjects. Results: Mean±SD of rrCBV, rMTT and TTP ratios of patients were 1.089±0.118, 1.054±0.031 and 1.062±0.039, respectively, and those of control subjects were 1.002±0.045, 1.000±0.006, 1.001±0.006, respectively. The rMTT and TTP ratios of all patients were greater than 2SDs of control data, whereas in only 6 patients (32%), rrCBV ratios were greater than 2SDs of control data. The three parameter ratios of the patients were significantly high compared with those of control subjects, respectively (p<0.01 for rrCBV ratios, p<0.0001 for rMTT ratios, and p<0.0001 for TTP ratios). Conclusion: Our results indicate that rMTT and TTP of patients, in contrast to rrCBV, are distributed in narrow ranges minimally overlapped with control data. The rMTT and TTP could be more reliable parameters than rrCBV in assessing the hemodynamic disturbance in carotid occlusive disease

The usefulness of carotid sinus massage in different patient groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Narasimhan Pradeep; Thomas, Alan; Mudd, Paul; Morris, Robert O; Masud, Tahir

2003-11-01

to determine the positive yield of carotid sinus massage in different patient groups: unexplained syncope, falls, dizziness and controls. observational study. teaching hospital. we studied consecutive patients over the age of 60 years referred to the 'falls clinic' with a history of unexplained syncope, unexplained falls and unexplained dizziness. We also studied asymptomatic control subjects recruited from a general practice register aged 60 years and over. All patients and control subjects underwent a full clinical assessment (comprehensive history and detailed clinical examination including supine and erect blood pressure measurements) and 12-lead electrocardiography. We performed carotid sinus massage in the supine position for 5 seconds separately on both sides followed by repeating the procedure in the upright positions using a motorised tilt table. Heart rate and blood pressure were recorded using a cardiac monitor and digital plethysmography respectively. The test was considered positive if carotid sinus massage produced asystole with more than a 3 second pause (cardioinhibitory type of carotid sinus syndrome), or a fall in systolic blood pressure of more than 50 mmHg in the absence of significant cardioinhibition (vasodepressor type of carotid sinus syndrome) or where there was evidence of both vasodepressor and cardio-inhibition as above (mixed type). we studied 44 asymptomatic control subjects and 221 symptomatic patients (130 with unexplained syncope, 41 with unexplained falls and 50 with unexplained dizziness). In the overall symptomatic patient group, the positive yield (any type of carotid sinus syndrome) was 17.6% (95% CI = 12.7-22.5). The positive yield in men (26.3% (95% CI = 16.4-36.2)) was twice that in women (13.1% (95% CI = 7.6-18.6)) (P = 0.014). Overall any type of carotid sinus syndrome was present in 22.3% (n = 29) of the syncope group, 17.1% (n = 7) in the unexplained fallers group and 6% (n = 3) in the dizziness group. We also found that

18FDG PET and ultrasound echolucency in carotid artery plaques

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Graebe, Martin; Pedersen, Sune F; Højgaard, Liselotte

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVES: The objective was to evaluate inflammation in echolucent carotid artery plaques. BACKGROUND: Ultrasound echolucency of carotid artery plaques has been proven to differentiate patients at high risk of stroke. On the other hand, positron emission tomography (PET) of plaques with the use...... for ultrasound and PET imaging. Plaque standardized gray scale medians (GSM) were measured in longitudinal ultrasound images to quantitate echolucency, and GSM values were compared with FDG PET uptake quantified by maximum standardized uptake values (SUV). Symptomatic plaques were compared with contralateral...... plaques ranged from high to low inflammatory activity, as depicted with PET. Quantitative FDG SUV differentiated asymptomatic from symptomatic plaques, whereas GSM values did not. There was a positive correlation between CD68 expression and FDG uptake (r = 0.50, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Our results...

Platelet-Derived MRP-14 Induces Monocyte Activation in Patients With Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Dann, Rebecca; Hadi, Tarik; Montenont, Emilie; Boytard, Ludovic; Alebrahim, Dornaszadat; Feinstein, Jordyn; Allen, Nicole; Simon, Russell; Barone, Krista; Uryu, Kunihiro; Guo, Yu; Rockman, Caron; Ramkhelawon, Bhama; Berger, Jeffrey S

2018-01-02

Peripheral artery disease (PAD), a diffuse manifestation of atherothrombosis, is a major cardiovascular threat. Although platelets are primary mediators of atherothrombosis, their role in the pathogenesis of PAD remains unclear. The authors sought to investigate the role of platelets in a cohort of symptomatic PAD. The authors profiled platelet activity, mRNA, and effector roles in patients with symptomatic PAD and in healthy controls. Patients with PAD and carotid artery stenosis were recruited into ongoing studies (NCT02106429 and NCT01897103) investigating platelet activity, platelet RNA, and cardiovascular disease. Platelet RNA sequence profiling mapped a robust up-regulation of myeloid-related protein (MRP)-14 mRNA, a potent calcium binding protein heterodimer, in PAD. Circulating activated platelets were enriched with MRP-14 protein, which augmented the expression of the adhesion mediator, P-selectin, thereby promoting monocyte-platelet aggregates. Electron microscopy confirmed the firm interaction of platelets with monocytes in vitro and colocalization of macrophages with MRP-14 confirmed their cross talk in atherosclerotic manifestations of PAD in vivo. Platelet-derived MRP-14 was channeled to monocytes, thereby fueling their expression of key PAD lesional hallmarks and increasing their directed locomotion, which were both suppressed in the presence of antibody-mediated blockade. Circulating MRP-14 was heightened in the setting of PAD, significantly correlated with PAD severity, and was associated with incident limb events. The authors identified a heightened platelet activity profile and unraveled a novel immunomodulatory effector role of platelet-derived MRP-14 in reprograming monocyte activation in symptomatic PAD. (Platelet Activity in Vascular Surgery and Cardiovascular Events [PACE]; NCT02106429; and Platelet Activity in Vascular Surgery for Thrombosis and Bleeding [PIVOTAL]; NCT01897103). Copyright © 2018 American College of Cardiology Foundation

Quantitative evaluation of high intensity signal on MIP images of carotid atherosclerotic plaques from routine TOF-MRA reveals elevated volumes of intraplaque hemorrhage and lipid rich necrotic core.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Kiyofumi; Song, Yan; Hippe, Daniel S; Sun, Jie; Dong, Li; Xu, Dongxiang; Ferguson, Marina S; Chu, Baocheng; Hatsukami, Thomas S; Chen, Min; Zhou, Cheng; Yuan, Chun

2012-11-29

Carotid intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) and lipid rich necrotic core (LRNC) have been associated with accelerated plaque growth, luminal narrowing, future surface disruption and development of symptomatic events. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quantitative relationships between high intensity signals (HIS) in the plaque on TOF-MRA and IPH or LRNC volumes as measured by multicontrast weighted CMR. Seventy six patients with a suspected carotid artery stenosis or carotid plaque by ultrasonography underwent multicontrast carotid CMR. HIS presence and volume were measured from TOF-MRA MIP images while IPH and LRNC volumes were separately measured from multicontrast CMR. For detecting IPH, HIS on MIP images overall had high specificity (100.0%, 95% CI: 93.0 - 100.0%) but relatively low sensitivity (32%, 95% CI: 20.8 - 47.9%). However, the sensitivity had a significant increasing relationship with underlying IPH volume (p = 0.033) and degree of stenosis (p = 0.022). Mean IPH volume was 2.7 times larger in those with presence of HIS than in those without (142.8 ± 97.7 mm(3) vs. 53.4 ± 56.3 mm(3), p = 0.014). Similarly, mean LRNC volume was 3.4 times larger in those with HIS present (379.8 ± 203.4 mm(3) vs. 111.3 ± 122.7 mm(3), p = 0.001). There was a strong correlation between the volume of the HIS region and the IPH volume measured from multicontrast CMR (r = 0.96, p routine, clinical TOF sequences. High intensity signals in carotid plaque on TOF-MRA MIP images are associated with increased intraplaque hemorrhage and lipid-rich necrotic core volumes. The technique is most sensitive in patients with moderate to severe stenosis.

Cross-reacting antibacterial auto-antibodies are produced within coronary atherosclerotic plaques of acute coronary syndrome patients.

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Filippo Canducci

Full Text Available Coronary atherosclerosis, the main condition predisposing to acute myocardial infarction, has an inflammatory component caused by stimuli that are yet unknown. We molecularly investigated the nature of the immune response within human coronary lesion in four coronary plaques obtained by endoluminal atherectomy from four patients. We constructed phage-display libraries containing the IgG1/kappa antibody fragments produced by B-lymphocytes present in each plaque. By immunoaffinity, we selected from these libraries a monoclonal antibody, arbitrarily named Fab7816, able to react both with coronary and carotid atherosclerotic tissue samples. We also demonstrated by confocal microscopy that this monoclonal antibody recognized human transgelin type 1, a cytoskeleton protein involved in atherogenesis, and that it co-localized with fibrocyte-like cells transgelin+, CD68+, CD45+ in human sections of coronary and carotid plaques. In vitro fibrocytes obtained by differentiating CD14+ cells isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells also interacted with Fab7816, thus supporting the hypothesis of a specific recognition of fibrocytes into the atherosclerotic lesions. Interestingly, the same antibody, cross-reacted with the outer membrane proteins of Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella pneumoniae (and possibly with homologous proteins of other enterobacteriaceae present in the microbiota. From all the other three libraries, we were able to clone, by immunoaffinity selection, human monoclonal antibodies cross-reacting with bacterial outer membrane proteins and with transgelin. These findings demonstrated that in human atherosclerotic plaques a local cross-reactive immune response takes place.

Cost-effectiveness of screening for asymptomatic carotid atherosclerotic disease.

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Derdeyn, C P; Powers, W J

1996-11-01

The value of screening for asymptomatic carotid stenosis has become an important issue with the recently reported beneficial effect of endarterectomy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of using Doppler ultrasound as a screening tool to select subjects for arteriography and subsequent surgery. A computer model was developed to simulate the cost-effectiveness of screening a cohort of 1000 men during a 20-year period. The primary outcome measure was incremental present-value dollar expenditures for screening and treatment per incremental present-value quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) saved. Estimates of disease prevalence and arteriographic and surgical complication rates were obtained from the literature. Probabilities of stroke and death with surgical and medical treatment were obtained from published clinical trials. Doppler ultrasound sensitivity and specificity were obtained through review of local experience. Estimates of costs were obtained from local Medicare reimbursement data. A one-time screening program of a population with a high prevalence (20%) of > or = 60% stenosis cost $35130 per incremental QALY gained. Decreased surgical benefit or increased annual discount rate was detrimental, resulting in lost QALYs. Annual screening cost $457773 per incremental QALY gained. In a low-prevalence (4%) population, one-time screening cost $52588 per QALY gained, while annual screening was detrimental. The cost-effectiveness of a one-time screening program for an asymptomatic population with a high prevalence of carotid stenosis may be cost-effective. Annual screening is detrimental. The most sensitive variables in this simulation model were long-term stroke risk reduction after surgery and annual discount rate for accumulated costs and QALYs.

In vivo and in vitro evidence that {sup 99m}Tc-HYNIC-interleukin-2 is able to detect T lymphocytes in vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques of the carotid artery

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Glaudemans, Andor W.J.M.; Vries, Erik F.J. de; Koole, Michel; Luurtsema, Gert; Slart, Riemer H.J.A. [University Medical Center Groningen (Netherlands). Dept. of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging; Bonanno, Elena [Univ. of Rome Tor Vergata (Italy). Dept. of Anatomic Pathology; Galli, Filippo [Sapienza Univ, Rome (Italy). Nuclear Medicine Unit; Zeebregts, Clark J. [University Medical Center Groningen (Netherlands). Surgery (Div. Vascular Surgery); Boersma, Hendrikus H. [University Medical Center Groningen (Netherlands). Dept. of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging; University Medical Center Groningen (Netherlands). Clinical and Hospital Pharmacy; Taurino, Maurizio [Sapienza Univ., Rome (Italy). Vascular Surgery Unit; Signore, Alberto [University Medical Center Groningen (Netherlands). Dept. of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging; Sapienza Univ, Rome (Italy). Nuclear Medicine Unit

2014-09-15

Recent advances in basic science have established that inflammation plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Inflammatory cells are thought to be responsible for the transformation of a stable plaque into a vulnerable one. Lymphocytes constitute at least 20 % of infiltrating cells in these vulnerable plaques. Therefore, the interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor, being overexpressed on activated T lymphocytes, may represent an attractive biomarker for plaque vulnerability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the specificity of radiolabelled IL-2 [{sup 99m}Tc-hydrazinonicotinamide (HYNIC)-IL-2] for imaging the lymphocytic infiltration in carotid plaques in vivo by planar and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/CT imaging and ex vivo by microSPECT and autoradiography. For the in vivo study, ten symptomatic patients with advanced plaques at ultrasound who were scheduled for carotid endarterectomy underwent {sup 99m}Tc-HYNIC-IL-2 scintigraphy. The images were analysed visually on planar and SPECT images and semi-quantitatively on SPECT images by calculating target to background (T/B) ratios. After endarterectomy, immunomorphological evaluation and immunophenotyping were performed on plaque slices. For the ex vivo studies, four additional patients were included and, after in vitro incubation of removed plaques with {sup 99m}Tc-HYNIC-IL-2, autoradiography was performed and microSPECT images were acquired. Visual analysis defined clear {sup 99m}Tc-HYNIC-IL-2 uptake in seven of the ten symptomatic plaques. SPECT/CT allowed visualization in eight of ten. A significant correlation was found between the number of CD25+ lymphocytes and the total number of CD25+ cells in the plaque and the T/B ratio with adjacent carotid artery as background (Pearson's r = 0.89, p = 0.003 and r = 0.87, p = 0.005, respectively). MicroSPECT imaging showed clear {sup 99m}Tc-HYNIC-IL-2 uptake within the plaque wall and not in the lipidic core. With autoradiography

Fractal analysis of plaque border, a novel method for the quantification of atherosclerotic plaque contour irregularity, is associated with pro-atherogenic plasma lipid profile in subjects with non-obstructive carotid stenoses.

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Moroni, Francesco; Magnoni, Marco; Vergani, Vittoria; Ammirati, Enrico; Camici, Paolo G

2018-01-01

Plaque border irregularity is a known imaging characteristic of vulnerable plaques, but its evaluation heavily relies on subjective evaluation and operator expertise. Aim of the present work is to propose a novel fractal-analysis based method for the quantification of atherosclerotic plaque border irregularity and assess its relation with cardiovascular risk factors. Forty-two asymptomatic subjects with carotid stenosis underwent ultrasound evaluation and assessment of cardiovascular risk factors. Total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) plasma cholesterol and triglycerides concentrations were measured for each subject. Fractal analysis was performed in all the carotid segments affected by atherosclerosis, i.e. 147 segments. The resulting fractal dimension (FD) is a measure of irregularity of plaque profile on long axis view of the plaque. FD in the severest stenosis (main plaque FD,mFD) was 1.136±0.039. Average FD per patient (global FD,gFD) was 1.145±0.039. FD was independent of other plaque characteristics. mFD significantly correlated with plasma HDL (r = -0.367,p = 0.02) and triglycerides-to-HDL ratio (r = 0.480,p = 0.002). Fractal analysis is a novel, readily available, reproducible and inexpensive technique for the quantitative measurement of plaque irregularity. The correlation between low HDL levels and plaque FD suggests a role for HDL in the acquisition of morphologic features of plaque instability. Further studies are needed to validate the prognostic value of fractal analysis in carotid plaques evaluation.

Diagnostic workup in carotid stenosis - a neurologist's perspective

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Rosenkranz, Michael; Gerloff, Christian

2010-01-01

Carotid artery stenosis is associated with the risk of stroke, myocardial infarction, and vascular death. In selected patients, revascularization of carotid narrowing by endarterectomy may reduce the risk of stroke distal to the stenosis. Carotid artery stenting has evolved as a potential alternative to endarterectomy. Four randomized clinical trials comparing safety and efficacy of endarterectomy versus stenting of symptomatic carotid stenosis have been published in recent years, but there remains some uncertainty about the implications of these trials for clinical routine. Both carotid stenting and endarterectomy are based on different treatment strategies which may result in different specific risk factors associated with each procedure. Hence, the procedural risk of either modality varies not only with the skills of the surgeon or the interventionalist but may depend on patient characteristics. It appears that the most important question is not whether one revascularization modality is superior but for which patient one modality is better than the other. A comprehensive diagnostic workup of patients with carotid stenosis based on a broad panel of covariates that affect the risk of vascular events may improve selection of patients for carotid revascularization and may help to decide for whom one revascularization modality is likely to be better than the other. (orig.)

Exposure to Cigarette Smoke and the Carotid Arteries Calcification Index in Patients with Essential Hypertension.

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Gać, Paweł; Jaźwiec, Przemysław; Mazur, Grzegorz; Poręba, Rafał

2017-07-01

The arteries calcification index is a quantitative, mathematically estimated parameter characterizing the total amount of calcium within atherosclerotic plaques in the walls of arteries. The objective is to determine a relationship between exposure to cigarette smoke and the carotid arteries calcification index in patients with essential hypertension. The tested group included 66 patients with essential hypertension: 19 active smokers (subgroup A), 20 non-smokers, environmentally exposed to cigarette smoke (subgroup B) and 27 persons without exposure to cigarette smoke (subgroup C). The tested group was subjected to computed tomography angiography of carotid arteries. Evaluation of the carotid arteries calcification indexes was conducted. The average value of the total calcification index of the carotid arteries (CAci) amounted to 368.28 ± 384.21. In subgroup A and B in relation to subgroup C, CAci was significantly higher. In summary, active and passive smoking in patients with essential hypertension may be associated with a higher calcification index of carotid arteries.

Demographic And Technical Risk Factors Of 30-Day Stroke, Myocardial Infarction, And/Or Death In Standard And High Risk Patients Who Underwent Carotid Angioplasty And Stenting

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Samaneh Yousefi

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS is an accepted treatment to prevent stroke in patients with carotid artery stenosis. The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors for major complications after carotid angioplasty and stenting. Methods and Material: This is a prospective study conducted at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in southern Iran from March 2011 to June 2014. Consecutive patients undergoing carotid angioplasty and stenting were enrolled. Both standard risk and high risk patients for endarterectomy were enrolled. Demographic data, atherosclerotic risk factors, site of stenosis, degree of stenosis, and data regarding technical factors were recorded. 30-day stroke, myocardial infarction, and/or death were considered as the composite primary outcome of the study. Results:  two hundred and fifty one patients were recruited (mean age: 71.1+ 9.6 years, male: 65.3%.  One hundred and seventy eight (70.9% patients were symptomatic; 73 (29.1%, 129 (51.4%, 165 (65.7% and 62 (24.7% patients were diabetic, hyperlipidemic, hypertensive and smoker respectively. CAS performed for left ICA in 113 (45.4% patients. 14 (5.6% patients had Sequential bilateral stenting. Mean stenosis of operated ICA was 80.2 +13.8 %. Embolic protection device was used in 203 (96.2% patients. Predilation and post-dilation were performed in 39 (18.5% and 182 (86.3% patients respectively. Composite outcome was observed in 3.6% (3.2% stroke, 0% myocardial infarction and 1.2% death. Left sided lesions and presence of DM was significantly associated with poor short term outcome. (P value: 0.025 and 0.020, respectively Conclusion: There was a higher risk of short term major complications in diabetic patients and left carotid artery intervention.

Internal Carotid Artery Aneurysm Mimicking Peritonsillar Abscess

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Jacek Brzost

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The extracranial internal carotid artery aneurysm (EICAA is an uncommon arterial lesion. Patients typically present with neurologic symptoms resulting from impaired cerebral perfusion and compression symptoms of cranial nerves. Often EICAA presents as a pulsatile neck mass, which is otherwise asymptomatic. We present a case of an 84-year-old female, who was initially referred to the Emergency Department for Otolaryngology with suspected peritonsillar abscess. The patient had a history of recent upper airway infection and cardiovascular comorbidities, including hypertension and ischaemic stroke complicated by extensive neurologic deficits. Physical examination revealed a compact, nonpulsatile mass in the lateral parapharyngeal space and local erythema of the mucosa. Duplex Doppler Ultrasonography and Computed Tomography revealed an atherosclerotic aneurysm of the right internal carotid artery, measuring 63×55×88 mm, stretching from the skull base to the angle of the mandible.

Recognizing subtle near-occlusion in carotid stenosis patients: a computed tomography angiographic study

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Koskinen, Suvi Maaria [University of Helsinki, Clinicum, Department of Neurosciences (Finland); University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Radiology, Helsinki (Finland); Silvennoinen, Heli; Valanne, Leena [University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, HUS Medical Imaging Center, Radiology, Helsinki (Finland); Ijaes, Petra; Nuotio, Krista; Lindsberg, Perttu J. [University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Neurology, Clinical Neurosciences, Helsinki (Finland); University of Helsinki, Molecular Neurology, Research Programs Unit, Helsinki (Finland); Soinne, Lauri [University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Neurology, Clinical Neurosciences, Helsinki (Finland)

2017-04-15

Near-occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is a significant luminal diameter (LD) reduction beyond a tight atherosclerotic carotid stenosis (CS). Recognition of even subtle near-occlusions is essential to prevent underestimation of the stenosis degree. Our goal was to investigate the prevalence of near-occlusion among CS patients using a single standard criterion to facilitate its recognition, even when distal ICA LD reduction is not visually evident in computed tomography angiography (CTA). We analysed carotid artery CTAs of 467 patients with moderate-to-severe CS scheduled for endarterectomy. We performed measurements of the bilateral distal ICA LDs from thin axial source images and utilized a 1.0 mm intra-individual side-to-side distal ICA LD difference to distinguish near-occlusions, based on a previous study, aware of the vagaries of measurement. For analysis stratification, we excluded cases with significant carotid pathology affecting LD measurements. We discovered 126 near-occlusions fulfilling our criterion of ipsilateral near-occlusion: the mean LD side-to-side difference (mm) with 95% confidence interval being 1.8 (1.6, 1.9) and a standard deviation of 0.8 mm. Among the 233 cases not meeting our near-occlusion criterion, we found 140 moderate (50-69%) and 93 severe (70-99%) ipsilateral stenoses. The utilization of 1.0 mm cut-off value for the intra-individual distal ICA LD side-to-side difference to distinguish atherosclerotic ICA near-occlusion leads to a relatively high incidence of near-occlusion. In CTA, recently suggested to be used for near-occlusion diagnosis, a discriminatory 1.0 mm cut-off value could function as a pragmatic tool to enhance the detection of even subtle near-occlusions. (orig.)

Advances in the development of an imaging device for plaque measurement in the area of the carotid artery.

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Ličev, Lačezar; Krumnikl, Michal; Škuta, Jaromír; Babiuch, Marek; Farana, Radim

2014-03-04

This paper describes the advances in the development and subsequent testing of an imaging device for three-dimensional ultrasound measurement of atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid artery. The embolization from the atherosclerotic carotid plaque is one of the most common causes of ischemic stroke and, therefore, we consider the measurement of the plaque as extremely important. The paper describes the proposed hardware for enhancing the standard ultrasonic probe to provide a possibility of accurate probe positioning and synchronization with the cardiac activity, allowing the precise plaque measurements that were impossible with the standard equipment. The synchronization signal is derived from the output signal of the patient monitor (electrocardiogram (ECG)), processed by a microcontroller-based system, generating the control commands for the linear motion moving the probe. The controlling algorithm synchronizes the movement with the ECG waveform to obtain clear images not disturbed by the heart activity.

Wingspan stent system in the treatment of symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Tianxiao; Li Zhaoshuo; Wang Ziliang; Xue Jiangyu; Bai Weixing; Li Li; Zhai Shuiting; Feng Yingpu

2010-01-01

Objective: To assess the safety, feasibility, short- and mid-term efficacy of wingspan stent for treating patients with symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis. Methods: A total of 113 patients with severe symptomatic intracranial stenosis were enrolled and Gateway-wingspan stenting were performed on all patients. The technical success, the pre- and post-stenting stenosis, perioperative complications, clinical outcome and restenosis rates were recorded, and chi-square test was used for analysis of complication rate by comparing our results with the results of Warfarin-Aspirin Symptomatic Intracranial Disease (WASID) study and NIH multi-center Wingspan stenting trial. Results: The technical success rate was 99.1% (112/ 113). The mean pre and post-stent stenoses were (80.7±9.3)% and (27.7±9.7)% (χ 2 =9.397, P<0.05). The total complication rate was 4.4% (5/113) during the follow-up (mean 14.5 months, range 1-28 months), and the frequency of' restenosis was 12.5% (5/40) at 6 months. The primary endpoint events, ischemic stroke, and lesion-related ischemic stroke were lower in our study (4.5%, 3.5%, 3.5%) compared with the results of WASID trial (21.1%, 20.4%, 15.0%, P<0.05). For those with poor outcome in the three high-risk sub-groups which were with more than 70% stenosis, or last event from the treatment was less than 17 days, or NIHSS was above 1, a better outcome was observed in our group (4.5%, 4.7% and 2.0% in our study, 19.0%, 17.0% and 19.6% in previous study, P<0.05). The medium-term efficacy in this group (4.5%) significantly improved compared with NIH study (14.0%, P< 0.05). Conclusions: Wingspan stenting for symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis is with good safety, feasibility and low perioperative stroke rate and mortality. The incidence of primary endpoint events and the ischemic events are lower than those of medication group, and the efficacy of stenting is significantly better than medication even in high-risk population. (authors)

New assessment for the risk of ischemic stroke or carotid artery stenosis. Prognostic factor analysis in hypercholesterolemia patients

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Uematsu, Daisuke

2008-01-01

Concise and non-invasive methods to detect the risk of cerebrovascular disease in high risk patients are considered useful. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the contribution to ischemic cerebrovascular risk of the Revised Atherosclerotic Index (RAI) which is calculated from the Atherogenic Index (AI), patient's age and number of risk factors of atherosclerotic disease. I studied retrospectively the serum lipid levels, carotid stenosis measured by ultrasonography and cerebral infarction diagnosed from the symptoms and CT in 56 hypercholesterolemic outpatients. I assessed the relation between the RAI and carotid stenoic findings, history of cerebral infarction, and type of cerebral infarction. I also assessed the relation between the RAI and changes in LDL-cholesterol level before and after atorvastatin administration. The RAI was significantly increased in patients with carotid lesions and cerebral infarction, but the AI was not. While the odds ratio of the AI for carotid lesions was high but not significantly so, that of the RAI increased with statistical significance. The odds ratio for cerebral infarction was high for the RAI but not for the AI. Furthermore, the RAI was significantly high in patients with aortic thrombotic cerebral infarction as compared to that in patients without any infarction. The serum lipids were well controlled under administration of atorvastatin and the mean RAI was also significantly decreased; however, more comprehensive control of risk factors might be necessary. The AI adjusted for patient's age and number of risk factors might be useful for assessing the risk of carotid lesion atherosclerosis and aortic thrombotic cerebral infarction. (author)

New assessment for the risk of ischemic stroke or carotid artery stenosis. Prognostic factor analysis in hypercholesterolemia patients

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Uematsu, Daisuke [Uematsu Neurological Clinic, Saitama, Saitama (Japan)

2008-07-15

Concise and non-invasive methods to detect the risk of cerebrovascular disease in high risk patients are considered useful. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the contribution to ischemic cerebrovascular risk of the Revised Atherosclerotic Index (RAI) which is calculated from the Atherogenic Index (AI), patient's age and number of risk factors of atherosclerotic disease. I studied retrospectively the serum lipid levels, carotid stenosis measured by ultrasonography and cerebral infarction diagnosed from the symptoms and CT in 56 hypercholesterolemic outpatients. I assessed the relation between the RAI and carotid stenoic findings, history of cerebral infarction, and type of cerebral infarction. I also assessed the relation between the RAI and changes in LDL-cholesterol level before and after atorvastatin administration. The RAI was significantly increased in patients with carotid lesions and cerebral infarction, but the AI was not. While the odds ratio of the AI for carotid lesions was high but not significantly so, that of the RAI increased with statistical significance. The odds ratio for cerebral infarction was high for the RAI but not for the AI. Furthermore, the RAI was significantly high in patients with aortic thrombotic cerebral infarction as compared to that in patients without any infarction. The serum lipids were well controlled under administration of atorvastatin and the mean RAI was also significantly decreased; however, more comprehensive control of risk factors might be necessary. The AI adjusted for patient's age and number of risk factors might be useful for assessing the risk of carotid lesion atherosclerosis and aortic thrombotic cerebral infarction. (author)

Transcatheter Closure of a Chronic Iatrogenic Arteriovenous Fistula Between the Carotid Artery and the Brachiocephalic Vein with an Amplatzer Duct Occluder in Combination with a Carotid Stent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stasek, Josef; Lojik, Miroslav; Bis, Josef; Horak, David; Dusek, Jaroslav; Brtko, Miroslav; Polansky, Pavel; Babu, Anush; Vojacek, Jan

2009-01-01

We report an original method of transcatheter closure of an arteriovenous fistula using the combination of an Amplatzer PDA occluder and a carotid stent. The fistula was between the left carotid artery and the brachiocephalic vein. The patient had significant left-to-right shunt and was highly symptomatic. Due to the large orifice and pseudoaneurysmatic enlargement of the fistula, we had to use a large Amplatzer PDA occluder and the protruding part of the PDA device disk had to be covered with a carotid stent. The fistula was completely closed. The patient stopped having symptoms and, 2 years after the procedure, the effect persists.

Utility of USPIO-enhanced MR imaging to identify inflammation and the fibrous cap: A comparison of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howarth, S.P.S.; Tang, T.Y.; Trivedi, R.; Weerakkody, R.; U-King-Im, J.; Gaunt, M.E.; Boyle, J.R.; Li, Z.Y.; Miller, S.R.; Graves, M.J.; Gillard, J.H.

2009-01-01

Background and purpose: Inflammation is a risk factor the vulnerable atheromatous plaque. This can be detected in vivo on high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging using a contrast agent, Sinerem TM , an ultra-small super-paramagnetic iron oxide (USPIO). The aim of this study was to explore whether there is a difference in the degree of MR defined inflammation using USPIO particles, between symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid plaques. We report further on its T 1 effect of enhancing the fibrous cap, which may allow dual contrast resolution of carotid atheroma. Methods: Twenty patients with carotid stenosis (10 symptomatic and 10 asymptomatic) underwent multi-sequence MR imaging before and 36 h post-USPIO infusion. Images were manually segmented into quadrants and signal change in each quadrant was calculated following USPIO administration. Mean signal change across all quadrants were compared between the two groups. Results: Symptomatic patients had significantly more quadrants with a signal drop than asymptomatic individuals (75% vs. 32%, p < 0.01). Asymptomatic plaques had more quadrants with signal enhancement than symptomatic ones (68% vs. 25%, p < 0.05); their mean signal change was also higher (46% vs. 15%, p < 0.01) and this appeared to correlate with a thicker fibrous cap on histology. Conclusions: Symptomatic patients had more quadrants with signal drop suggesting larger inflammatory infiltrates. Asymptomatic individuals showed significantly more enhancement possibly suggesting greater stability as a result of thicker fibrous caps. However, some asymptomatic plaques also had focal areas of signal drop, suggesting an occult macrophage burden. If validated by larger studies, USPIO may be a useful dual contrast agent able to improve risk stratification of patients with carotid stenosis and inform selection for intervention.

Hypoplasia of the internal carotid artery with intercavernous anastomosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, C.J.; Wang, L.J.; Wong, Y.C.; Chen, S.T.; Hsieh, F.Y.

1998-01-01

We report a symptomatic case of unilateral hypoplasia of the internal carotid artery with an intercavernous anastomosis, a very rare developmental anomaly. The symptoms were caused by occlusion of the proximal middle cerebral artery which possibly related to the haemodynamic stress caused by the anomalous intercavernous anastomosis. (orig.)

Fiber-optic system for dual-modality imaging of glucose probes 18F-FDG and 6-NBDG in atherosclerotic plaques.

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Raiyan T Zaman

Full Text Available Atherosclerosis is a progressive inflammatory condition that underlies coronary artery disease (CAD-the leading cause of death in the United States. Thus, the ultimate goal of this research is to advance our understanding of human CAD by improving the characterization of metabolically active vulnerable plaques within the coronary arteries using a novel catheter-based imaging system. The aims of this study include (1 developing a novel fiber-optic imaging system with a scintillator to detect both 18F and fluorescent glucose probes, and (2 validating the system on ex vivo murine plaques.A novel design implements a flexible fiber-optic catheter consisting of both a radio-luminescence and a fluorescence imaging system to detect radionuclide 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG and the fluorescent analog 6-(N-(7-Nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-ylamino-6-Deoxyglucose (6-NBDG, respectively. Murine macrophage-rich atherosclerotic carotid plaques were imaged ex vivo after intravenous delivery of 18F-FDG or 6-NBDG. Confirmatory optical imaging by IVIS-200 and autoradiography were also performed.Our fiber-optic imaging system successfully visualized both 18F-FDG and 6-NBDG probes in atherosclerotic plaques. For 18F-FDG, the ligated left carotid arteries (LCs exhibited 4.9-fold higher radioluminescence signal intensity compared to the non-ligated right carotid arteries (RCs (2.6 × 10(4 ± 1.4 × 10(3 vs. 5.4 × 10(3 ± 1.3 × 10(3 A.U., P = 0.008. Similarly, for 6-NBDG, the ligated LCs emitted 4.3-fold brighter fluorescent signals than the control RCs (1.6 × 10(2 ± 2.7 × 10(1 vs. 3.8 × 10(1 ± 5.9 A.U., P = 0.002. The higher uptake of both 18F-FDG and 6-NBDG in ligated LCs were confirmed with the IVIS-200 system. Autoradiography further verified the higher uptake of 18F-FDG by the LCs.This novel fiber-optic imaging system was sensitive to both radionuclide and fluorescent glucose probes taken up by murine atherosclerotic plaques. In addition, 6-NBDG is a

Quantitative evaluation of high intensity signal on MIP images of carotid atherosclerotic plaques from routine TOF-MRA reveals elevated volumes of intraplaque hemorrhage and lipid rich necrotic core

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Yamada Kiyofumi

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Carotid intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH and lipid rich necrotic core (LRNC have been associated with accelerated plaque growth, luminal narrowing, future surface disruption and development of symptomatic events. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quantitative relationships between high intensity signals (HIS in the plaque on TOF-MRA and IPH or LRNC volumes as measured by multicontrast weighted CMR. Methods Seventy six patients with a suspected carotid artery stenosis or carotid plaque by ultrasonography underwent multicontrast carotid CMR. HIS presence and volume were measured from TOF-MRA MIP images while IPH and LRNC volumes were separately measured from multicontrast CMR. Results For detecting IPH, HIS on MIP images overall had high specificity (100.0%, 95% CI: 93.0 – 100.0% but relatively low sensitivity (32%, 95% CI: 20.8 – 47.9%. However, the sensitivity had a significant increasing relationship with underlying IPH volume (p = 0.033 and degree of stenosis (p = 0.022. Mean IPH volume was 2.7 times larger in those with presence of HIS than in those without (142.8 ± 97.7 mm3 vs. 53.4 ± 56.3 mm3, p = 0.014. Similarly, mean LRNC volume was 3.4 times larger in those with HIS present (379.8 ± 203.4 mm3 vs. 111.3 ± 122.7 mm3, p = 0.001. There was a strong correlation between the volume of the HIS region and the IPH volume measured from multicontrast CMR (r = 0.96, p  Conclusion MIP images are easily reformatted from three minute, routine, clinical TOF sequences. High intensity signals in carotid plaque on TOF-MRA MIP images are associated with increased intraplaque hemorrhage and lipid-rich necrotic core volumes. The technique is most sensitive in patients with moderate to severe stenosis.

Extracranial Internal Carotid Artery Aneurysms: Report of a Ruptured Case and Review of the Literature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siablis, Dimitrios; Karnabatidis, Dimitrios; Katsanos, Konstantinos; Mastronikolis, Nikos; Zabakis, Peter; Kraniotis, Pantelis

2004-01-01

Aneurysms of the extracranial carotid arteries (ECAA) are extremely rare. Schechter et al. documented 835 cases in the literature up to 1977. One hundred and sixteen cases of ECAA have been documented in the Chinese literature since 1981, suggesting a higher prevalence of carotid aneurysmal disease in China than in the West. Four percent of all peripheral artery aneurysms are reported to be ECAA. Those arising from the internal carotid artery (EICAA) are even more rare. Two recent reviews reported 24 and 25 cases of EICAA during 21 and 17 years, respectively, the majority of them is treated surgically. Our literature review revealed only a few true EICAA managed endovascularly, but none of them with a covered stent. We describe a rare such case of ruptured atherosclerotic EICAA which was treated percutaneously

The significance of CBF measurements for precise management of carotid stenosis

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Nakagawara, Jyoji; Kamiyama, Kenji; Usui, Reiko; Takeda, Rihei; Nakamura, Hirohiko [Nakamura Memorial Hospital, Sapporo (Japan)

2002-12-01

Severe hemodynamic cerebral ischemia associated with carotid stenosis could be one of the difining characteristics of the high-risk group for carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Measurements of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and vascular reactivity in patients treated with CEA were analyzed to clarify the significance of preoperative evaluation of hemodynamic cerebral ischemia using CBF-SPECT. Both the resting and acetazolamide-activated rCBF, and the severity of the hemodynamic cerebral ischemia (Stage 0-II) were quantified using the {sup 123}I-IMP autoradiography (ARG) method and preoperative cerebral hemodynamics were compared in both symptomatic patients (n=30) and asymptomatic patients (n=24). Postoperative improvement of resting rCBF was estimated in both groups. Stage II ischemia was quantitatively defined as both a resting rCBF of less than 80% of normal mean CBF and a vascular reserve (VR: (acetazolamide-activated rCBF/Resting rCBF-1) x 100%) of less than 10%. In the other 31 patients treated with CEA, postoperative hyperperfusion was investigated using CBF-SPECT within 24 hours after CEA. Preoperatively, Stage II ischemia (hemodynamically compromised state) was observed in 20% of symptomatic patients and 8% of asymptomatic patients. A significant difference in resting rCBF was indicated between symptomatic patients (31.8{+-}6.1 ml/100 g/min) and asymptomatic patients (37.6{+-}6.6 ml/100 g/min)(p<0.002, t-test). Severity of hemodynamic cerebral ischemia was generally moderate in symptomatic patients. Postoperatively, a significant increase of resting CBF was observed in symptomatic patients but not in asymptomatic patients. In the other 31 patients treated by CEA, symptomatic hyperperfusion was observed in 3 of 4 patients with Stage II ischemia and asymptomatic hyperperfusion was indicated in 3 of 4 patients with Stage I ischemia with a VR of less than 10%. Preoperative CBF measurements in patients treated with CEA were significant to define severe hemodynamic

A rabbit model of atherosclerosis at carotid artery: MRI visualization and histopathological characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, Zhan-Long; Teng, Gao-Jun; Chen, Jun; Zhang, Hong-Ying; Cao, Ai-Hong; Ni, Yicheng

2008-01-01

To induce a rabbit model of atherosclerosis at carotid artery, to visualize the lesion evolution with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to characterize the lesion types by histopathology. Atherosclerosis at the right common carotid artery (RCCA) was induced in 23 rabbits by high-lipid diet following balloon catheter injury to the endothelium. The rabbits were examined in vivo with a 1.5-T MRI and randomly divided into three groups of 6 weeks (n=6), 12 weeks (n=8) and 15 weeks (n=9) for postmortem histopathology. The lesions on both MRI and histology were categorized according to the American Heart Association (AHA) classifications of atherosclerosis. Type I and type II of atherosclerotic changes were detected at week 6, i.e., nearly normal signal intensity (SI) of the injured RCCA wall without stenosis on MRI, but with subendothelial inflammatory infiltration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells on histopathology. At week 12, 75.0% and 62.5% of type III changes were encountered on MRI and histopathology respectively with thicker injured RCCA wall of increased SI on T 1 -weighted and proton density (PD)-weighted MRI and microscopically a higher degree of plaque formation. At week 15, carotid atherosclerosis became more advanced, i.e., type IV and type V in 55.6% and 22.2% of the lesions with MRI and 55.6% and 33.3% of the lesions with histopathology, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed a significant agreement (p<0.05) between the MRI and histological findings for lesion classification (r=0.96). A rabbit model of carotid artery atherosclerosis has been successfully induced and noninvasively visualized. The atherosclerotic plaque formation evolved from type I to type V with time, which could be monitored with 1.5-T MRI and confirmed with histomorphology. This experimental setting can be applied in preclinical research on atherosclerosis. (orig.)

Carotid near-occlusion frequently has high peak systolic velocity on Doppler ultrasound

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Khangure, Simon R.; Machnowska, Matylda; Fox, Allan J.; Hojjat, Seyed-Parsa; Aviv, Richard I. [Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Medical Imaging, Neuroradiology Division, Toronto, ON (Canada); University of Toronto, Department of Medical Imaging, Division of Neuroimaging, Toronto (Canada); Benhabib, Hadas [Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Medical Imaging, Neuroradiology Division, Toronto, ON (Canada); Groenlund, Christer [Umeaa University, Department of Radiation Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Umeaa (Sweden); Herod, Wendy [Department of Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto (Canada); Maggisano, Robert [Department of Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto (Canada); University of Toronto, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Toronto (Canada); Sjoeberg, Anders [Umeaa University, Department of Radiation Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Umeaa (Sweden); Umeaa University, Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeaa (Sweden); Wester, Per [Umeaa University, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeaa (Sweden); Karolinska Institutet Danderyds Hospital, Department of Clinical Sciences, Stockholm (Sweden); Hopyan, Julia [University of Toronto, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Toronto (Canada); Johansson, Elias [Umeaa University, Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeaa (Sweden); Umeaa University, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeaa (Sweden)

2018-01-15

Carotid near-occlusion is a tight atherosclerotic stenosis of the internal carotid artery (ICA) resulting in decrease in diameter of the vessel lumen distal to the stenosis. Near-occlusions can be classified as with or without full collapse, and may have high peak systolic velocity (PSV) across the stenosis, mimicking conventional > 50% carotid artery stenosis. We aimed to determine how frequently near-occlusions have high PSV in the stenosis and determine how accurately carotid Doppler ultrasound can distinguish high-velocity near-occlusion from conventional stenosis. Included patients had near-occlusion or conventional stenosis with carotid ultrasound and CT angiogram (CTA) performed within 30 days of each other. CTA examinations were analyzed by two blinded expert readers. Velocities in the internal and common carotid arteries were recorded. Mean velocity, pulsatility index, and ratios were calculated, giving 12 Doppler parameters for analysis. Of 136 patients, 82 had conventional stenosis and 54 had near-occlusion on CTA. Of near-occlusions, 40 (74%) had high PSV (≥ 125 cm/s) across the stenosis. Ten Doppler parameters significantly differed between conventional stenosis and high-velocity near-occlusion groups. However, no parameter was highly sensitive and specific to separate the groups. Near-occlusions frequently have high PSV across the stenosis, particularly those without full collapse. Carotid Doppler ultrasound does not seem able to distinguish conventional stenosis from high-velocity near-occlusion. These findings question the use of ultrasound alone for preoperative imaging evaluation. (orig.)

The prevalence of carotid artery stenosis in patients undergoing aortic reconstruction.

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Cahan, M A; Killewich, L A; Kolodner, L; Powell, C C; Metz, M; Sawyer, R; Lilly, M P; Benjamin, M E; Flinn, W R

1999-09-01

Coronary artery disease occurs frequently in patients undergoing aortic reconstruction, and it has been presumed that internal carotid artery occlusive disease is also common. This has led to the practice of screening for and repairing significant carotid lesions in asymptomatic patients prior to aortic reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to determine the true prevalence of internal carotid artery disease in these patients. The records of 240 patients who underwent duplex ultrasound screening for carotid artery disease prior to aortic reconstruction were reviewed. Surgery was performed for aortic aneurysm (AA) or aorto-iliac occlusive disease (AO). The prevalence of hyperlipidemia and coronary artery disease was similar between the two groups, but tobacco use, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus differed. Internal carotid artery stenosis > or = 50% occurred in 26.7% of the total group (64 of 240 cases). Stenosis > or = 50% was more common in the AO group (40 of 101 cases, 39.6%) than the AA group (24 of 139 cases, 17.3%, P = 0.0001). Severe disease (70% to 99%) was also more common in the AO group than the AA group (9.9% versus 3.6%, P = 0.0464). Internal carotid artery disease occurs commonly in patients undergoing aortic reconstruction, and screening is worthwhile. Significant disease is more common in patients with aorto-iliac occlusive disease than in those with aortic aneurysm, although atherosclerotic risk factors occur with varying frequency in the two groups. These findings suggest that additional factors may contribute to the higher prevalence of internal carotid artery stenosis in aorto-iliac occlusive disease.

A comparison of ultrasound measurements to assess carotid atherosclerosis development in subjects with and without type 2 diabetes

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Zinman Bernard

2005-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Subjects with type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk of vascular complications. The use of carotid ultrasound remains an attractive, non-invasive method to monitor atherosclerotic disease progression and/or response to treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes, with intima-media thickness routinely used as the gold standard to detect pathology. However, alternative measurements, such as plaque area or volume, may represent a potentially more powerful approach. Thus, the objective of this study was to compare the traditional intima-media thickness measurement against the novel total plaque volume measurement in analyzing carotid atherosclerosis development in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Methods The case-control study included 49 Oji-Cree adults with diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance, aged 21–69, and 49 sex- and age-matched normoglycemic subjects. At baseline, metabolic variables were measured, including body mass index, waist circumference, total cholesterol:high density lipoprotein ratio, plasma triglycerides, plasma glucose, and serum insulin. Carotid ultrasound measurements, 7 years later, assessed carotid arterial intima-media thickness and total plaque volume. Results At baseline, the two groups were well matched for smoking habits, hypertension, body mass index, and waist circumference. Differences were noted in baseline measurements of total cholesterol:high density lipoprotein (P = 0.0006, plasma triglycerides (P P P = 0.037, but not intima-media thickness measurements, were higher in subjects with diabetes/impaired glucose tolerance compared to the normoglycemic controls. Correlation between intima-media thickness and total plaque volume was moderate. Based on our study findings, to achieve power levels >0.70 when comparing intima-media thickness measurements for diabetics versus non-diabetics, thousands of study subjects are required. For comparing total plaque volume measurements, only hundreds of

Treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic stenoses with balloon dilatation and self-expanding stent deployment (WingSpan)

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Henkes, H. [Robert Janker Klinik, Bonn (Germany); Alfried Krupp Krankenhaus, Klinik fuer Radiologie und Neuroradiologie, Essen (Germany); Miloslavski, E.; Lowens, S.; Reinartz, J. [Robert Janker Klinik, Bonn (Germany); Liebig, T.; Kuehne, D. [Alfried Krupp Krankenhaus, Klinik fuer Radiologie und Neuroradiologie, Essen (Germany)

2005-03-01

The endovascular treatment of atherosclerotic intracranial arterial stenoses has previously been based on balloon dilatation or the deployment of a balloon expandable stent. Both methods have advantages (balloon: flexibility; balloon expandable stent: high radial force) and drawbacks (balloon: risk of elastic recoil and dissection; balloon expandable stent: limited flexibility, risk of injury to the vessel due to excessive straightening, overexpansion at ends of stent). A new combination of balloon dilatation, followed by the deployment of a self-expanding microstent has been applied in 15 patients with atherosclerotic arterial stenoses, symptomatic despite medical treatment. An anatomically and clinically adequate result was achieved in all patients. The initial degree of stenosis was 72% (mean). Balloon dilatation resulted in an average residual stenosis of 54% (mean), reduced further to a mean of 38% after stent deployment. Arterial dissection, occlusion of the target artery or symptomatic distal emboli was not encountered. In one patient, a side branch occlusion occurred after dilatation of a M1 stenosis, with complete neurological recovery. All patients were either stable or improved 4 weeks after the treatment. Recurrent TIA did not occur in any patient. Balloon dilatation and subsequent deployment of a self-expandable stent for the treatment of symptomatic intracranial arterial stenoses combines the advantages of both techniques and allows a rapid, clinically effective and technically safe treatment of these frequently challenging lesions. (orig.)

Treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic stenoses with balloon dilatation and self-expanding stent deployment (WingSpan)

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Henkes, H.; Miloslavski, E.; Lowens, S.; Reinartz, J.; Liebig, T.; Kuehne, D.

2005-01-01

The endovascular treatment of atherosclerotic intracranial arterial stenoses has previously been based on balloon dilatation or the deployment of a balloon expandable stent. Both methods have advantages (balloon: flexibility; balloon expandable stent: high radial force) and drawbacks (balloon: risk of elastic recoil and dissection; balloon expandable stent: limited flexibility, risk of injury to the vessel due to excessive straightening, overexpansion at ends of stent). A new combination of balloon dilatation, followed by the deployment of a self-expanding microstent has been applied in 15 patients with atherosclerotic arterial stenoses, symptomatic despite medical treatment. An anatomically and clinically adequate result was achieved in all patients. The initial degree of stenosis was 72% (mean). Balloon dilatation resulted in an average residual stenosis of 54% (mean), reduced further to a mean of 38% after stent deployment. Arterial dissection, occlusion of the target artery or symptomatic distal emboli was not encountered. In one patient, a side branch occlusion occurred after dilatation of a M1 stenosis, with complete neurological recovery. All patients were either stable or improved 4 weeks after the treatment. Recurrent TIA did not occur in any patient. Balloon dilatation and subsequent deployment of a self-expandable stent for the treatment of symptomatic intracranial arterial stenoses combines the advantages of both techniques and allows a rapid, clinically effective and technically safe treatment of these frequently challenging lesions. (orig.)

Utility of USPIO-enhanced MR imaging to identify inflammation and the fibrous cap: A comparison of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals

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Howarth, S.P.S. [University Department of Radiology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ (United Kingdom); Tang, T.Y. [University Department of Radiology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ (United Kingdom); Cambridge Vascular Unit, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Trivedi, R.; Weerakkody, R.; U-King-Im, J. [University Department of Radiology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ (United Kingdom); Gaunt, M.E.; Boyle, J.R. [Cambridge Vascular Unit, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Li, Z.Y. [University Department of Radiology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ (United Kingdom); Miller, S.R. [Biostatistics and Data Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Harlow (United Kingdom); Graves, M.J. [University Department of Radiology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ (United Kingdom); Gillard, J.H. [University Department of Radiology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ (United Kingdom)], E-mail: jhg21@cam.ac.uk

2009-06-15

Background and purpose: Inflammation is a risk factor the vulnerable atheromatous plaque. This can be detected in vivo on high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging using a contrast agent, Sinerem{sup TM}, an ultra-small super-paramagnetic iron oxide (USPIO). The aim of this study was to explore whether there is a difference in the degree of MR defined inflammation using USPIO particles, between symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid plaques. We report further on its T{sub 1} effect of enhancing the fibrous cap, which may allow dual contrast resolution of carotid atheroma. Methods: Twenty patients with carotid stenosis (10 symptomatic and 10 asymptomatic) underwent multi-sequence MR imaging before and 36 h post-USPIO infusion. Images were manually segmented into quadrants and signal change in each quadrant was calculated following USPIO administration. Mean signal change across all quadrants were compared between the two groups. Results: Symptomatic patients had significantly more quadrants with a signal drop than asymptomatic individuals (75% vs. 32%, p < 0.01). Asymptomatic plaques had more quadrants with signal enhancement than symptomatic ones (68% vs. 25%, p < 0.05); their mean signal change was also higher (46% vs. 15%, p < 0.01) and this appeared to correlate with a thicker fibrous cap on histology. Conclusions: Symptomatic patients had more quadrants with signal drop suggesting larger inflammatory infiltrates. Asymptomatic individuals showed significantly more enhancement possibly suggesting greater stability as a result of thicker fibrous caps. However, some asymptomatic plaques also had focal areas of signal drop, suggesting an occult macrophage burden. If validated by larger studies, USPIO may be a useful dual contrast agent able to improve risk stratification of patients with carotid stenosis and inform selection for intervention.

Preliminary Study of Hemodynamic Distribution in Patient-Specific Stenotic Carotid Bifurcation by Image-Based Computational Fluid Dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xue, Y.J.; Gao, P.Y.; Duan, Q.; Lin, Y.; Dai, C.B.

2008-01-01

Background: Regions prone to atherosclerosis, such as bends and bifurcations, tend to exhibit a certain degree of non-planarity or curvature, and these geometric features are known to strongly influence local flow patterns. Recently, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been used as a means of enhancing understanding of the mechanisms involved in atherosclerotic plaque formation and development. Purpose: To analyze flow patterns and hemodynamic distribution in stenotic carotid bifurcation in vivo by combining CFD with magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Material and Methods: Twenty-one patients with carotid atherosclerosis proved by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and/or Doppler ultrasound underwent contrast-enhanced MR angiography of the carotid bifurcation by a 3.0T MR scanner. Hemodynamic variables and flow patterns of the carotid bifurcation were calculated and visualized by combining vascular imaging postprocessing with CFD. Results: In mild stenotic cases, there was much more streamlined flow in the bulbs, with reduced or disappeared areas of weakly turbulent flow. Also, the corresponding areas of low wall shear stress (WSS) were reduced or even disappeared. As the extent of stenosis increased, stronger blood jets formed at the portion of narrowing, and more prominent eddy flows and slow back flows were noted in the lee of the stenosis. Regions of elevated WSS were predicted at the portion of stenosis and in the path of the downstream jet. Areas of low WSS were predicted on the leeward side of the stenosis, corresponding with the location of slowly turbulent flows. Conclusion: CFD combined with MRA can simulate flow patterns and calculate hemodynamic variables in stenotic carotid bifurcations as well as normal ones. It provides a new method to investigate the relationship of vascular geometry and flow condition with atherosclerotic pathological changes

Pathologic implications of severely stenotic carotid artery in disparity to the contralateral asymptomatic artery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cacayorin, E.D.; Schwartz, R.A.; Park, S.H.

1989-01-01

In 15 patients (eight women, seven men; age range 56-67 years), arteriography showed severely stenotic internal carotid artery in contrast to the contralateral asymptomatic carotid artery. The patients with recent neurologic manifestations of transient ischemic attack and amaurosis fugax underwent carotid endarterectomy and were subsequently proved to have hemorrhagic atheromatous plaques on gross and histologic examinations. The disparity was unusually significant: 80%-95% stenosis for the symptomatic side, and 0%-20% stenosis for the asymptomatic side. The authors conclude that this arteriographic finding suggests high likelihood of focal subintimal hemorrhage occurring locally; such pathologic change might actually precipitate a cerebroembolic event

Circulating immunoglobulins are not associated with intraplaque mast cell number and other vulnerable plaque characteristics in patients with carotid artery stenosis.

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Sanne Willems

Full Text Available Recently, we have shown that intraplaque mast cell numbers are associated with atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability and with future cardiovascular events, which renders inhibition of mast cell activation of interest for future therapeutic interventions. However, the endogenous triggers that activate mast cells during the progression and destabilization of atherosclerotic lesions remain unidentified. Mast cells can be activated by immunoglobulins and in the present study, we aimed to establish whether specific immunoglobulins in plasma of patients scheduled for carotid endarterectomy were related to (activated intraplaque mast cell numbers and plasma tryptase levels. In addition, the levels were related to other vulnerable plaque characteristics and baseline clinical data.OxLDL-IgG, total IgG and total IgE levels were measured in 135 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy. No associations were observed between the tested plasma immunoglobulin levels and total mast cell numbers in atherosclerotic plaques. Furthermore, no associations were found between IgG levels and the following plaque characteristics: lipid core size, degree of calcification, number of macrophages or smooth muscle cells, amount of collagen and number of microvessels. Interestingly, statin use was negatively associated with plasma IgE and oxLDL-IgG levels.In patients suffering from carotid artery disease, total IgE, total IgG and oxLDL-IgG levels do not associate with plaque mast cell numbers or other vulnerable plaque histopathological characteristics. This study thus does not provide evidence that the immunoglobulins tested in our cohort play a role in intraplaque mast cell activation or grade of atherosclerosis.

Carotid stenosis and cognitive impairment amongst older Chinese adults living in a rural area: a population-based study.

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Yan, Z; Liang, Y; Shi, J; Cai, C; Jiang, H; Song, A; Qiu, C

2016-01-01

The possible association between carotid stenosis and cognitive impairment in the Chinese population has been rarely investigated. The association between the severity of carotid stenosis and cognitive impairment amongst older Chinese people living in a rural area was assessed. This cross-sectional study included 1375 participants (age ≥60 years) from the Confucius Hometown Aging Project in Shandong. In 2010-2011, data were collected through interviews and clinical examinations. Carotid stenosis was assessed using ultrasonography. Cognitive impairment was defined according to the education-specific cutoff scores of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Data were analyzed using multinomial logistic models. The overall prevalence was 7.0% for moderate carotid stenosis, 2.0% for severe stenosis and 6.0% for cognitive impairment. The multi-adjusted odds ratio of cognitive impairment was 1.43 (95% confidence interval 0.63-3.22) for moderate carotid stenosis and 3.75 (1.24-11.40) for severe carotid stenosis (P(trend) = 0.023). Similar results were obtained in people without a history of cerebrovascular disease. Severe carotid stenosis, even asymptomatic, is associated with cognitive impairment independent of atherosclerotic risk factors and disorders amongst older Chinese people. © 2015 EAN.

3-D flow characterization and shear stress in a stenosed carotid artery bifurcation model using stereoscopic PIV technique.

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Kefayati, Sarah; Poepping, Tamie L

2010-01-01

The carotid artery bifurcation is a common site of atherosclerosis which is a major leading cause of ischemic stroke. The impact of stenosis in the atherosclerotic carotid artery is to disturb the flow pattern and produce regions with high shear rate, turbulence, and recirculation, which are key hemodynamic factors associated with plaque rupture, clot formation, and embolism. In order to characterize the disturbed flow in the stenosed carotid artery, stereoscopic PIV measurements were performed in a transparent model with 50% stenosis under pulsatile flow conditions. Simulated ECG gating of the flowrate waveform provides external triggering required for volumetric reconstruction of the complex flow patterns. Based on the three-component velocity data in the lumen region, volumetric shear-stress patterns were derived.

Evaluation of early atherosclerotic findings in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

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Mohammadi Afshin

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS is the most common endocrinopathy in women of childbearing age, and it seems better to consider it as an ovarian manifestation of metabolic syndrome. The aim of the current study was to evaluate early atherosclerotic findings in patients with PCOS. Methods We enrolled 46 women with PCOS and 45 normal control subjects who were referred to our hospital's endocrinology outpatient clinic. Carotid intima media thickness (CIMT and flow-mediated dilatation (FMD were performed in both cases and matched controls. Results Patients with PCOS showed an increased mean CIMT (0.63 ± 0.16 mm when compared with the control subjects (0.33 ± 0.06 mm. This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.001. The mean FMD in young patients with PCOS was 10.07 ± 1.2%, while it was 6.5 ± 2.06% in normal subjects. This difference was also statistically significant (p = 0.001. Conclusion Our findings suggest that PCOS is related with early atherosclerotic findings.

Lipid-Altering Therapies and the Progression of Atherosclerotic Disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wierzbicki, Anthony S.

2007-01-01

Lipids play a key role in the progression of atherosclerosis, and lipid-lowering therapies have been studied for 30 years in coronary disease. Measurement of the progression of atherosclerosis through carotid intima-media thickness, coronary mean lumen diameter, and, mostly recently, intravascular ultrasound is generally accepted. This article reviews the role of lipid-lowering therapies in changing the rate of atherosclerosis progression in the coronary and carotid circulations. Statins are the primary therapy used to reduce atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events, including strokes and transient ischemic attacks, and have benefits in reducing events in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. In contrast, data for other agents, including fibrates and nicotinic acid, in reducing the progression of atherosclerosis are less extensive and not as well known. There is increasing interest in optimizing the whole lipid profile, as this might deliver extra benefits over and above statin therapy alone. Initial proof of this concept has recently come from studies that measured the progression of atherosclerosis and showed that adding nicotinic acid to statin therapy and, more directly, infusion of high-density lipoprotein-like particles reduced progression and indeed might induce regression of the disease. It is likely that the management of significant carotid stenosis will become ever more drug focused and will be customized to the lipid profile of each patient with intervention reserved only for late-stage symptomatic disease

Mechanical properties of human atherosclerotic intima tissue.

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Akyildiz, Ali C; Speelman, Lambert; Gijsen, Frank J H

2014-03-03

Progression and rupture of atherosclerotic plaques in coronary and carotid arteries are the key processes underlying myocardial infarctions and strokes. Biomechanical stress analyses to compute mechanical stresses in a plaque can potentially be used to assess plaque vulnerability. The stress analyses strongly rely on accurate representation of the mechanical properties of the plaque components. In this review, the composition of intima tissue and how this changes during plaque development is discussed from a mechanical perspective. The plaque classification scheme of the American Heart Association is reviewed and plaques originating from different vascular territories are compared. Thereafter, an overview of the experimental studies on tensile and compressive plaque intima properties are presented and the results are linked to the pathology of atherosclerotic plaques. This overview revealed a considerable variation within studies, and an enormous dispersion between studies. Finally, the implications of the dispersion in experimental data on the clinical applications of biomechanical plaque modeling are presented. Suggestions are made on mechanical testing protocol for plaque tissue and on using a standardized plaque classification scheme. This review identifies the current status of knowledge on plaque mechanical properties and the future steps required for a better understanding of the plaque type specific material properties. With this understanding, biomechanical plaque modeling may eventually provide essential support for clinical plaque risk stratification. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Laser Doppler anemometer measurements of pulsatile flow in a model carotid bifurcation.

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Ku, D N; Giddens, D P

1987-01-01

Hemodynamics at the human carotid bifurcation is important to the understanding of atherosclerotic plaque initiation and progression as well as to the diagnosis of clinically important disease. Laser Doppler anemometry was performed in a large scale model of an average human carotid. Pulsatile waveforms and physiologic flow divisions were incorporated. Disturbance levels and shear stresses were computed from ensemble averages of the velocity waveform measurements. Flow in the common carotid was laminar and symmetric. Flow patterns in the sinus, however, were complex and varied considerably during the cycle. Strong helical patterns and outer wall flow separation waxed and waned during each systole. The changing flow patterns resulted in an oscillatory shear stress at the outer wall ranging from -13 to 9 dyn cm-2 during systole with a time-averaged mean of only -0.5 dyn cm-2. This contrasts markedly with an inner wall shear stress range of 17-50, (mean 26) dyn cm-2. The region of transient separation was confined to the carotid sinus outer wall with no reverse velocities detected in the distal internal carotid. Notable disturbance velocities were also time-dependent, occurring only during the deceleration phase of systole and the beginning of diastole. The present pulsatile flow studies have aided in identifying hemodynamic conditions which correlate with early intimal thickening and predict the physiologic level of flow disturbances in the bulb of undiseased internal carotid arteries.

Thirty-day outcomes of direct carotid artery stenting with cerebral protection in high-risk patients

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Veselka, J.; Cerna, D.; Zimolova, P.; Blasko, P.; Fiedler, J.; Hajek, P.; Maly, M.; Zemanek, D.; Duchonova, R.

2007-01-01

Implantation of a carotid artery stent after predilation is a standard approach in the endovascular treatment of carotid artery stenoses. Stenting without predilation may be an alternative approach in a certain subset of patients. The present prospective, single-center registry was designed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of direct carotid artery stenting (DCAS) in high-risk patients. Symptomatic patients with stenosis >50% and asymptomatic patients with stenosis >70% were eligible for enrolment. Criteria for high-risk patients included: need or history of open heart surgery, history of myocardial infarction, multivessel coronary artery disease, left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction ≤40%), severe pulmonary or renal disease, significant contralateral carotid disease, previous endarterectomy, and age ≥80 years. All procedures were performed using a filter protection device. Patients underwent complete clinical examination before and after DCAS and at 30-day follow-up. A total of 83 consecutive patients (45 males, 68±9 years, 33% symptomatic) underwent 100 procedures and 103 stents were deployed successfully. The technical success rate of stenting was 100%. Predilation of carotid stenosis was necessary in 1 (1%) procedure. Carotid-artery stenoses before and after DCAS were 80±9% and 7±9%, respectively. The median fluoroscopic time for DCAS was 7 min. The overall rate of in-hospital major adverse cerebrovascular events (death, stroke, myocardial infarction) was 5% (2 minor strokes, 3 transient attacks). There was 1 (1%) minor stroke within the 30-day follow-up. DCAS is feasible and can be performed with an acceptable risk in high-risk patients. (author)

Ultrasound Common Carotid Artery Segmentation Based on Active Shape Model

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Yang, Xin; Jin, Jiaoying; Xu, Mengling; Wu, Huihui; He, Wanji; Yuchi, Ming; Ding, Mingyue

2013-01-01

Carotid atherosclerosis is a major reason of stroke, a leading cause of death and disability. In this paper, a segmentation method based on Active Shape Model (ASM) is developed and evaluated to outline common carotid artery (CCA) for carotid atherosclerosis computer-aided evaluation and diagnosis. The proposed method is used to segment both media-adventitia-boundary (MAB) and lumen-intima-boundary (LIB) on transverse views slices from three-dimensional ultrasound (3D US) images. The data set consists of sixty-eight, 17 × 2 × 2, 3D US volume data acquired from the left and right carotid arteries of seventeen patients (eight treated with 80 mg atorvastatin and nine with placebo), who had carotid stenosis of 60% or more, at baseline and after three months of treatment. Manually outlined boundaries by expert are adopted as the ground truth for evaluation. For the MAB and LIB segmentations, respectively, the algorithm yielded Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) of 94.4% ± 3.2% and 92.8% ± 3.3%, mean absolute distances (MAD) of 0.26 ± 0.18 mm and 0.33 ± 0.21 mm, and maximum absolute distances (MAXD) of 0.75 ± 0.46 mm and 0.84 ± 0.39 mm. It took 4.3 ± 0.5 mins to segment single 3D US images, while it took 11.7 ± 1.2 mins for manual segmentation. The method would promote the translation of carotid 3D US to clinical care for the monitoring of the atherosclerotic disease progression and regression. PMID:23533535

Ultrasound Common Carotid Artery Segmentation Based on Active Shape Model

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Xin Yang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Carotid atherosclerosis is a major reason of stroke, a leading cause of death and disability. In this paper, a segmentation method based on Active Shape Model (ASM is developed and evaluated to outline common carotid artery (CCA for carotid atherosclerosis computer-aided evaluation and diagnosis. The proposed method is used to segment both media-adventitia-boundary (MAB and lumen-intima-boundary (LIB on transverse views slices from three-dimensional ultrasound (3D US images. The data set consists of sixty-eight, 17 × 2 × 2, 3D US volume data acquired from the left and right carotid arteries of seventeen patients (eight treated with 80 mg atorvastatin and nine with placebo, who had carotid stenosis of 60% or more, at baseline and after three months of treatment. Manually outlined boundaries by expert are adopted as the ground truth for evaluation. For the MAB and LIB segmentations, respectively, the algorithm yielded Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC of 94.4% ± 3.2% and 92.8% ± 3.3%, mean absolute distances (MAD of 0.26 ± 0.18 mm and 0.33 ± 0.21 mm, and maximum absolute distances (MAXD of 0.75 ± 0.46 mm and 0.84 ± 0.39 mm. It took 4.3 ± 0.5 mins to segment single 3D US images, while it took 11.7 ± 1.2 mins for manual segmentation. The method would promote the translation of carotid 3D US to clinical care for the monitoring of the atherosclerotic disease progression and regression.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Stabilize Atherosclerotic Vulnerable Plaque by Anti-Inflammatory Properties.

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Wang, Shuang-shuang; Hu, Si-wang; Zhang, Qing-hua; Xia, Ai-xiang; Jiang, Zhi-xin; Chen, Xiao-min

2015-01-01

Formation and progression of atherosclerotic vulnerable plaque (VP) is the primary cause of many cardio-cerebrovascular diseases such as acute coronary syndrome and stroke. It has been reported that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) exhibit protective effects against many kinds of diseases including myocardial infarction. Here, we examined the effects of intravenous MSC infusion on a VP model and provide novel evidence of its influence as a therapy in this animal disease model. Thirty healthy male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into a MSC, VP or stable plaque (SP) group (n = 10/group) and received high fat diet and cold-induced common carotid artery intimal injury with liquid nitrogen to form atherosclerotic plaques. Serum hs-CRP, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 levels were measured by ELISA at 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after MSC transplantation. The animals were sacrificed at 4 weeks after MSC transplantation. Lesions in the right common carotid were observed using H&E and Masson staining, and the fibrous cap/lipid core ratio of atherosclerotic plaques were calculated. The expression of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and matrix metalloproteinase 1, 2, 9 (MMP-1,2,9) in the plaque were detected using immunohistochemistry, and apoptotic cells in the plaques were detected by TUNEL. In addition, the level of TNF-α stimulated gene/protein 6 (TSG-6) mRNA and protein were measured by quantitative Real-Time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Two rabbits in the VP group died of lung infection and cerebral infarction respectively at 1 week after plaque injury by liquid nitrogen. Both H&E and Masson staining revealed that the plaques from the SP and MSC groups had more stable morphological structure and a larger fibrous cap/lipid core ratio than the VP group. Serum hs-CRP, TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly down-regulated, whereas IL-10 was significantly up-regulated in the MSC group compared with the VP group. .Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Stabilize Atherosclerotic Vulnerable Plaque by Anti-Inflammatory Properties.

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Shuang-shuang Wang

Full Text Available Formation and progression of atherosclerotic vulnerable plaque (VP is the primary cause of many cardio-cerebrovascular diseases such as acute coronary syndrome and stroke. It has been reported that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC exhibit protective effects against many kinds of diseases including myocardial infarction. Here, we examined the effects of intravenous MSC infusion on a VP model and provide novel evidence of its influence as a therapy in this animal disease model.Thirty healthy male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into a MSC, VP or stable plaque (SP group (n = 10/group and received high fat diet and cold-induced common carotid artery intimal injury with liquid nitrogen to form atherosclerotic plaques. Serum hs-CRP, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 levels were measured by ELISA at 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after MSC transplantation. The animals were sacrificed at 4 weeks after MSC transplantation. Lesions in the right common carotid were observed using H&E and Masson staining, and the fibrous cap/lipid core ratio of atherosclerotic plaques were calculated. The expression of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB and matrix metalloproteinase 1, 2, 9 (MMP-1,2,9 in the plaque were detected using immunohistochemistry, and apoptotic cells in the plaques were detected by TUNEL. In addition, the level of TNF-α stimulated gene/protein 6 (TSG-6 mRNA and protein were measured by quantitative Real-Time PCR and Western blotting, respectively.Two rabbits in the VP group died of lung infection and cerebral infarction respectively at 1 week after plaque injury by liquid nitrogen. Both H&E and Masson staining revealed that the plaques from the SP and MSC groups had more stable morphological structure and a larger fibrous cap/lipid core ratio than the VP group. Serum hs-CRP, TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly down-regulated, whereas IL-10 was significantly up-regulated in the MSC group compared with the VP group. .Immunohistochemistry analysis

Mathematical and numerical modeling of early atherosclerotic lesions***

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Raoult Annie

2010-12-01

Full Text Available This article is devoted to the construction of a mathematical model describing the early formation of atherosclerotic lesions. The early stage of atherosclerosis is an inflammatory process that starts with the penetration of low density lipoproteins in the intima and with their oxidation. This phenomenon is closely linked to the local blood flow dynamics. Extending a previous work [5] that was mainly restricted to a one-dimensional setting, we couple a simple lesion growth model relying on the biomolecular process that takes place in the intima with blood flow dynamics and mass transfer. We perform numerical simulations on a two-dimensional geometry taken from [6,7] that mimicks a carotid artery deformed by a perivascular cast and we compare the numerical results with experimental data.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging to determine hemispheric language dominance prior to carotid endarterectomy.

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Smits, M; Wieberdink, R G; Bakker, S L M; Dippel, D W J

2011-04-01

We describe a left-handed patient with transient aphasia and bilateral carotid stenosis. Computed tomography (CT) arteriography showed a 90% stenosis of the right and 30% stenosis of the left internal carotid artery. Head CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed no recent ischemic changes. As only the symptomatic side would require surgical intervention, and because hemispheric dominance for language in left-handed patients may be either left or right sided, a preoperative assessment of hemispheric dominance was required. We used functional MRI to determine hemispheric dominance for language and hence to establish the indication for carotid endarterectomy surgery. Functional MRI demonstrated right hemispheric dominance for language and right-sided carotid endarterectomy was performed. We propose that the clinical use of functional MRI as a noninvasive imaging technique for the assessment of hemispheric language dominance may be extended to the assessment of hemispheric language dominance prior to carotid endarterectomy. Copyright © 2010 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

A new approach for the screening of carotid lesions: a 'fast-track' method with the use of new generation hand-held ultrasound devices.

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Aboyans, V; Lacroix, P; Jeannicot, A; Guilloux, J; Bertin, F; Laskar, M

2004-09-01

We assessed the usefulness of fast-track neck sonography with a new-generation hand-held ultrasound scanner in the detection of > or =60% carotid stenosis. Patients with a past history of atherosclerotic disease or presence of risk factors were enrolled. All had fast-track carotid screening with a hand-held ultrasound scanner. Initial assessment was performed with our quick imaging protocol. A second examiner performed a conventional complete carotid duplex as gold-standard. We enrolled 197 consecutive patients with a mean age of 67 years (range 35-94). A carotid stenosis >60% was detected in 13 cases (6%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of fast-track sonography was 100%, 64%, 17% and 100%, respectively. Concomitant power Doppler imaging during the fast-track method did not improve accuracy. The use of a fast-track method with a hand-held ultrasound device can reduce the number of unnecessary carotid Duplex and enhance the screening efficiency without missing significant carotid stenoses.

Prevalence of significant carotid artery stenosis in Iranian patients with peripheral arterial disease

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Ghabili K

2011-10-01

patients had a history of coronary artery disease, six patients had hypertension, and ten patients had diabetes mellitus. Significant ICA stenosis was present in four patients (4.2% with peripheral arterial disease in one healthy individual (1% of the control group (P > 0.05. In terms of the risk factors for atherosclerosis, no statistically significant relationship was found between individual atherosclerotic risk factors and significant ICA stenosis (P > 0.05.Conclusion: The prevalence of significant ICA stenosis in Iranian patients with peripheral arterial disease is low. In addition, there is no relationship between individual atherosclerotic risk factors and significant ICA stenosis.Keywords: carotid artery stenosis, atherosclerosis, peripheral arterial disease, Iranian

Multi-scale AM-FM motion analysis of ultrasound videos of carotid artery plaques

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Murillo, Sergio; Murray, Victor; Loizou, C. P.; Pattichis, C. S.; Pattichis, Marios; Barriga, E. Simon

2012-03-01

An estimated 82 million American adults have one or more type of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). CVD is the leading cause of death (1 of every 3 deaths) in the United States. When considered separately from other CVDs, stroke ranks third among all causes of death behind diseases of the heart and cancer. Stroke accounts for 1 out of every 18 deaths and is the leading cause of serious long-term disability in the United States. Motion estimation of ultrasound videos (US) of carotid artery (CA) plaques provides important information regarding plaque deformation that should be considered for distinguishing between symptomatic and asymptomatic plaques. In this paper, we present the development of verifiable methods for the estimation of plaque motion. Our methodology is tested on a set of 34 (5 symptomatic and 29 asymptomatic) ultrasound videos of carotid artery plaques. Plaque and wall motion analysis provides information about plaque instability and is used in an attempt to differentiate between symptomatic and asymptomatic cases. The final goal for motion estimation and analysis is to identify pathological conditions that can be detected from motion changes due to changes in tissue stiffness.

Lesion-Related Carotid Angioplasty and Stenting with Closed-Cell Design without Embolic Protection Devices in High-Risk Elderly Patients-Can This Concept Work Out? A Single Center Experience Focusing on Stent Design.

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Hopf-Jensen, Silke; Marques, Leonardo; Preiß, Michael; Müller-Hülsbeck, Stefan

2014-12-01

To compare the performance differences of three carotid artery stents in high-risk elderly patients without embolic protection devices (EPDs) on the basis of stent design, procedure-related complications, conveniences in handling, in-stent restenosis, 30-day outcome, and long-term follow-up. A total of 101 symptomatic internal carotid stenoses of 94 patients were prospectively treated with stent-protected angioplasty to 94 patients. Three closed-cell stents, one of those being hybrid cell design, were chosen depending on vascular anatomy: curved vessel, lesion length > 1 cm: 64 Carotid Wallstent (Boston Scientific, Natick, MA); curved vessel, lesion length  1 cm: 16 Xact (Vascular Abbott, Santa Clara, CA). Comparisons of demographics, procedures, and outcomes were performed. The mean age of patients was 73.1 years (standard deviation [SD], ± 7.9; range, 58-87 years), 71% of the patients were older than 70 years and 20% were octogenarians. Male/female ratio was 3.1:1. About 13.9% (14/101) had contralateral internal carotid artery occlusion. Overall peri-interventional complication rate was 2.9% and 30-day mortality rate was 1%. During the long-term follow-up (34 months, range 1-59) no ipsilateral stroke was documented. Ten deaths (three after MI) were recognized. Two in-stent restenosis were detected (> 70% North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial) during follow-up, one patient was detected with previous carotid endarterectomy. Especially, if individual anatomical variance is considered, lesion-related stent-protected carotid angioplasty with lesion-adapted closed-cell design is an effective, reliable, safe, and comprehensible treatment option in symptomatic patients. Even without EPDs, the rate of complications is low, when compared with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis described in the literature. In-stent restenosis seems to play no significant role in follow-up.

Characterisation of carotid plaques with ultrasound elastography: feasibility and correlation with high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging

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Naim, Cyrille; Cloutier, Guy; Mercure, Elizabeth; Destrempes, Francois; Qin, Zhao; El-Abyad, Walid; Lanthier, Sylvain; Giroux, Marie-France; Soulez, Gilles

2013-01-01

To evaluate the ability of ultrasound non-invasive vascular elastography (NIVE) strain analysis to characterise carotid plaque composition and vulnerability as determined by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Thirty-one subjects with 50 % or greater carotid stenosis underwent NIVE and high-resolution MRI of internal carotid arteries. Time-varying strain images (elastograms) of segmented plaques were generated from ultrasonic raw radiofrequency sequences. On MRI, corresponding plaques and components were segmented and quantified. Associations between strain parameters, plaque composition and symptomatology were estimated with curve-fitting regressions and Mann-Whitney tests. Mean stenosis and age were 72.7 % and 69.3 years, respectively. Of 31 plaques, 9 were symptomatic, 17 contained lipid and 7 were vulnerable on MRI. Strains were significantly lower in plaques containing a lipid core compared with those without lipid, with 77-100 % sensitivity and 57-79 % specificity (P < 0.032). A statistically significant quadratic fit was found between strain and lipid content (P < 0.03). Strains did not discriminate symptomatic patients or vulnerable plaques. Ultrasound NIVE is feasible in patients with significant carotid stenosis and can detect the presence of a lipid core with high sensitivity and moderate specificity. Studies of plaque progression with NIVE are required to identify vulnerable plaques. (orig.)

A historical prospective cohort study of carotid artery stenosis after radiotherapy for head and neck malignancies

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Brown, Paul D.; Foote, Robert L.; McLaughlin, Mark P.; Halyard, Michele Y.; Ballman, Karla V.; Collie, A. Craig; Miller, Robert C.; Flemming, Kelly D.; Hallett, John W.

2005-01-01

Purpose: To determine carotid artery stenosis incidence after radiotherapy for head-and-neck neoplasms. Methods and Materials: This historical prospective cohort study comprised 44 head-and-neck cancer survivors who received unilateral neck radiotherapy between 1974 and 1999. They underwent bilateral carotid duplex ultrasonography to detect carotid artery stenosis. Results: The incidence of significant carotid stenosis (8 of 44 [18%]) in the irradiated neck was higher than that in the contralateral unirradiated neck (3 of 44 [7%]), although this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.13). The rate of significant carotid stenosis events increased as the time after radiotherapy increased. The risk of ipsilateral carotid artery stenosis was higher in patients who had undergone a neck dissection vs. those who had not. Patients with significant ipsilateral stenosis also tended to be older than those without significant stenosis. No other patient or treatment variables correlated with risk of carotid artery stenosis. Conclusions: For long-term survivors after neck dissection and irradiation, especially those who are symptomatic, ultrasonographic carotid artery screening should be considered

Plasma Lipoprotein-associated Phospholipase A2 in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome and Carotid Atherosclerosis

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Mao Yong-jun

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2 is a recently identified and potentially useful plasma biomarker for cardiovascular and atherosclerotic diseases. However, the correlation between the Lp-PLA2 activity and carotid atherosclerosis remains poorly investigated in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential role of Lp-PLA2 as a comprehensive marker of metabolic syndrome in individuals with and without carotid atherosclerosis. Methods We documented 118 consecutive patients with MetS and 70 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects served as controls. The patients were further divided into two groups: 39 with carotid plaques and 79 without carotid plaques to elucidate the influence of Lp-PLA2 on carotid atherosclerosis. The plasma Lp-PLA2 activity was measured by using ELISA method and carotid intimal-media thickness (IMT was performed by ultrasound in all participants. Results Lp-PLA2 activity was significantly increased in MetS subgroups when compared with controls, and was higher in patients with carotid plaques than those without plaques (P 2 was obtained between patients with three and four disorders of metabolic syndrome (P P = 0.029, LDL-cholesterol (β = 0.401, P = 0.000 and waist-hip ratio (β = 0.410, P = 0.000 emerged as significant and independent determinants of Lp-PLA2 activity. Multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that LDL-cholesterol (β = 0.309, P = 0.000, systolic blood pressure (β = 0.322, P = 0.002 and age (β = 0.235, P = 0.007 significantly correlated with max IMT, and Lp-PLA2 was not an independent predictor for carotid IMT. Conclusions Lp-PLA2 may be a modulating factor for carotid IMT via age and LDL-cholesterol, not independent predictor in the pathophysiological process of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with MetS.

Extracranial internal carotid artery aneurysm: case illustration

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Zenteno Marco

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Extracranial internal carotid artery aneurysms (EICAA are uncommon lesion. These aneurysms can be classified as true or false aneurysms, atherosclerotic, dysplastic, infectious, posttraumatic and iatrogenic aneurysms. The most common presentation is central neurologic dysfunction, either a stroke or a transient ischemic attack. The rupture of these aneurysms can lead to severely impairment and can affect the quality of life of the patients or even may lead to death. Management of these lesions is required in most cases to prevent complications, however there is no treatment guideline or expert consensus for the management. We present a case of an unusual EICAA, associated with kinking of the affected vessel and review the literature.

Imaging pathobiology of carotid atherosclerosis with ultrasmall superparamagnetic particles of iron oxide: an update.

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Sadat, Umar; Usman, Ammara; Gillard, Jonathan H

2017-07-01

To provide brief overview of the developments regarding use of ultrasmall superparamagnetic particles of iron oxide in imaging pathobiology of carotid atherosclerosis. MRI is a promising technique capable of providing morphological and functional information about atheromatous plaques. MRI using iron oxide particles, called ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) particles, allows detection of macrophages in atherosclerotic tissue. Ferumoxytol has emerged as a new USPIO agent, which has an excellent safety profile. Based on the macrophage-selective properties of ferumoxytol, there is increasing number of recent reports suggesting its effectiveness to detect pathological inflammation. USPIO particles allow magnetic resonance detection of macrophages in atherosclerotic tissue. Ferumoxytol has emerged as a new USPIO agent, with an excellent safety profile. This has the potential to be used for MRI of the pathobiology of atherosclerosis.

[Current guidelines on carotid artery stenting. Critical evaluation].

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Hein-Rothweiler, R; Mudra, H

2013-11-01

Scientific data underlying current guidelines on treatment of carotid artery stenosis is subject to interdisciplinary discussion. In particular selective weighting of the randomized European studies leads to conflicting levels of recommendation and levels of evidence, especially when directly comparing guidelines under surgical versus endovascular guidance. Surgical guidelines recommend a limitation of carotid artery stenting (CAS) to symptomatic patients with specific surgical/anatomical disadvantages and/or severe comorbidities. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines recommend the use of CAS only in patients at increased surgical risk but at the same time requires morbidity and mortality rates comparable to those of surgical interventions. Even one step further, the American guidelines and specifically the associated comments of the German Society of Cardiology on the above mentioned ESC guidelines put CAS and carotid endarterectomy (CEA) on a par in terms of treatment alternatives, presupposing analogous CEA complication rates. Differential interpretation of the so far inadequate data is a common issue of current evidence-based medicine. The difficulty in conceptualization of new studies concerning the therapy of carotid stenosis lies in the funding these large projects and also on the high patient number required to achieve adequate statistical power. Furthermore, during the estimated long study period substantial changes of current techniques and devices can be anticipated which might render the study results in part outdated by the time of publication. However, as long as no new randomized study results comparing medical, surgical and interventional treatment of carotid stenosis are available, the question on the optimal therapy for patients with carotid artery disease remains unanswered.

Relationship between haemodynamic impairment and collateral blood flow in carotid artery disease.

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Hartkamp, Nolan S; Petersen, Esben T; Chappell, Michael A; Okell, Thomas W; Uyttenboogaart, Maarten; Zeebregts, Clark J; Bokkers, Reinoud Ph

2017-01-01

Collateral blood flow plays a pivotal role in steno-occlusive internal carotid artery (ICA) disease to prevent irreversible ischaemic damage. Our aim was to investigate the effect of carotid artery disease upon cerebral perfusion and cerebrovascular reactivity and whether haemodynamic impairment is influenced at brain tissue level by the existence of primary and/or secondary collateral. Eighty-eight patients with steno-occlusive ICA disease and 29 healthy controls underwent MR examination. The presence of collaterals was determined with time-of-flight, two-dimensional phase contrast MRA and territorial arterial spin labeling (ASL) imaging. Cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular reactivity were assessed with ASL before and after acetazolamide. Cerebral haemodynamics were normal in asymptomatic ICA stenosis patients, as opposed to patients with ICA occlusion, in whom the haemodynamics in both hemispheres were compromised. Haemodynamic impairment in the affected brain region was always present in symptomatic patients. The degree of collateral blood flow was inversely correlated with haemodynamic impairment. Recruitment of secondary collaterals only occurred in symptomatic ICA occlusion patients. In conclusion, both CBF and cerebrovascular reactivity were found to be reduced in symptomatic patients with steno-occlusive ICA disease. The presence of collateral flow is associated with further haemodynamic impairment. Recruitment of secondary collaterals is associated with severe haemodynamic impairment.

Short-Term Results of Carotid Endarterectomy and Stenting After the Introduction of Carotid Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Single-Institution Retrospective Study.

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Fukumitsu, Ryu; Yoshida, Kazumichi; Kurosaki, Yoshitaka; Torihashi, Koichi; Sadamasa, Nobutake; Koyanagi, Masaomi; Narumi, Osamu; Sato, Tsukasa; Chin, Masaki; Handa, Akira; Yamagata, Sen; Miyamoto, Susumu

2017-05-01

Although carotid artery stenting (CAS) has been gaining popularity as an alternative to carotid endarterectomy (CEA), perioperative stroke rate following contemporary CAS remains significantly higher than stroke rate after CEA. The purpose of this study was to assess perioperative (within 30 days) therapeutic results in patients with carotid stenosis (CS) after introduction of preoperative carotid magnetic resonance imaging plaque evaluation in a single center performing both CEA and CAS. Based on prospectively collected data for patients with CS who were scheduled for carotid revascularization, retrospective analysis was conducted of 295 consecutive patients with CS. An intervention was selected after consideration of periprocedural risks for both CEA and CAS. Concerning risk factors for CAS, results of magnetic resonance imaging plaque evaluation were emphasized with a view toward reducing embolic complications. CAS was performed in 114 patients, and CEA was performed in 181 patients. Comparing baseline characteristics of the 295 patients, age, T1 signal intensity of plaque, symptomatic CS, urgent intervention, and diabetes mellitus differed significantly between CAS and CEA groups. Among patients who underwent CAS, new hyperintense lesions on diffusion-weighted imaging were confirmed in 47 patients. New hyperintense lesions on diffusion-weighted imaging were recognized in 21.4% of patients who underwent CEA (n = 39), significantly less frequent than in patients who underwent CAS. The overall short-term outcome of CEA and CAS is acceptable. Preoperative carotid magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of plaque might contribute to low rates of ischemic complications in CAS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Incidental internal carotid artery calcifications on temporal bone CT in children

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Koch, Bernadette; Jones, Blaise; Blackham, Aaron

2007-01-01

Incidental internal carotid artery (ICA) calcifications are occasionally noted on CT images of the brain and temporal bone. In adults, incidental calcifications have been correlated with increased incidence of hypercholesterolemia, cardiac disease, diabetes and carotid stenosis. To determine the incidence of incidental calcifications of the carotid siphon on temporal bone CT in children. We retrospectively reviewed 24 months of consecutive temporal bone CT examinations in children aged 18 years and younger. CT examinations on 663 patients were reviewed and the presence or absence of ICA calcifications was ranked as absent, questionable or definitive. In patients in whom definitive calcifications were identified, hospital charts were reviewed for evidence of diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperlipidemia and chronic renal disease as potential causes of early atherosclerosis. Of the 663 patients, 25% had definitive calcifications within the wall of the ICA: 6% of children younger than 2 years and 28% of children 12-19 years of age. Incidentally noted ICA calcifications are a common finding on temporal bone CT in children, most likely a physiologic response to turbulent flow at natural bends in the artery rather than secondary to underlying disease predisposing to early atherosclerotic calcification. (orig.)

Incidental internal carotid artery calcifications on temporal bone CT in children

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Koch, Bernadette; Jones, Blaise [Cincinnati Children' s Hospital Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Cincinnati, OH (United States); Blackham, Aaron [University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH (United States)

2007-02-15

Incidental internal carotid artery (ICA) calcifications are occasionally noted on CT images of the brain and temporal bone. In adults, incidental calcifications have been correlated with increased incidence of hypercholesterolemia, cardiac disease, diabetes and carotid stenosis. To determine the incidence of incidental calcifications of the carotid siphon on temporal bone CT in children. We retrospectively reviewed 24 months of consecutive temporal bone CT examinations in children aged 18 years and younger. CT examinations on 663 patients were reviewed and the presence or absence of ICA calcifications was ranked as absent, questionable or definitive. In patients in whom definitive calcifications were identified, hospital charts were reviewed for evidence of diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperlipidemia and chronic renal disease as potential causes of early atherosclerosis. Of the 663 patients, 25% had definitive calcifications within the wall of the ICA: 6% of children younger than 2 years and 28% of children 12-19 years of age. Incidentally noted ICA calcifications are a common finding on temporal bone CT in children, most likely a physiologic response to turbulent flow at natural bends in the artery rather than secondary to underlying disease predisposing to early atherosclerotic calcification. (orig.)

Atherosclerosis of the carotid artery: evaluation by magnetic resonance angiography.

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Wildy, K S; Yuan, C; Tsuruda, J S; Ferguson, M S; Wen, N; Subramaniam, D S; Strandness, D E

1996-01-01

Carotid artery atherosclerotic plaques (APs) can lead to brain ischemia, an event shown to correlate with both the degree of stenosis and the composition of the AP. Currently, accurate estimates of stenosis can be obtained by either x-ray angiography or three-dimensional time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Our purpose was to determine whether three-dimensional TOF MRA images could also provide information on plaque location, morphology, and composition. Seven pre-endarterectomy patients underwent three-dimensional TOF MRA. After endarterectomy, plaque histology was evaluated. Three-dimensional TOF MRA images contained sufficient soft tissue contrast to differentiate the plaques from the surrounding tissues in all cases. Estimation of plaque morphology had 80% correlation with histology. Finally, intraplaque hemorrhage and calcification were deplicted as regions of moderately high and very low intensity, respectively. These preliminary results suggest that three-dimensional TOF MRA may be useful in studying the development and progression of carotid atherosclerosis.

Comparison between a new computer program and the reference software for gray-scale median analysis of atherosclerotic carotid plaques.

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Casella, Ivan Benaduce; Fukushima, Rodrigo Bono; Marques, Anita Battistini de Azevedo; Cury, Marcus Vinícius Martins; Presti, Calógero

2015-03-01

To compare a new dedicated software program and Adobe Photoshop for gray-scale median (GSM) analysis of B-mode images of carotid plaques. A series of 42 carotid plaques generating ≥50% diameter stenosis was evaluated by a single observer. The best segment for visualization of internal carotid artery plaque was identified on a single longitudinal view and images were recorded in JPEG format. Plaque analysis was performed by both programs. After normalization of image intensity (blood = 0, adventitial layer = 190), histograms were obtained after manual delineation of plaque. Results were compared with nonparametric Wilcoxon signed rank test and Kendall tau-b correlation analysis. GSM ranged from 00 to 100 with Adobe Photoshop and from 00 to 96 with IMTPC, with a high grade of similarity between image pairs, and a highly significant correlation (R = 0.94, p < .0001). IMTPC software appears suitable for the GSM analysis of carotid plaques. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Plaque Hemorrhage for Risk Stratification in Carotid Artery Disease With Moderate Risk Under Current Medical Therapy.

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Hosseini, Akram A; Simpson, Richard J; Altaf, Nishath; Bath, Philip M; MacSweeney, Shane T; Auer, Dorothee P

2017-03-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-defined carotid plaque hemorrhage (MRIPH) can predict recurrent cerebrovascular ischemic events in severe symptomatic carotid stenosis. It is less clear whether MRIPH can improve risk stratification despite optimized medical secondary prevention in those with moderate risk. One-hundred fifty-one symptomatic patients with 30% to 99% carotid artery stenosis (median age: 77, 60.5% men) clinically deemed to not benefit from endarterectomy were prospectively recruited to undergo MRI and clinical follow-up (mean, 22 months). The clinical carotid artery risk score could be evaluated in 88 patients. MRIPH+ve was defined as plaque intensity >150% that of adjacent muscle. Survival analyses were performed with recurrent infarction (stroke or diffusion-positive cerebral ischemia) as the main end point. Fifty-five participants showed MRIPH+ve; 47 had low, 36 intermediate, and 5 high carotid artery risk scores. Cox regression showed MRIPH as a strong predictor of future infarction (hazard ratio, 5.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.64-16.34; P =0.005, corrected for degree of stenosis), also in the subgroup with 50% to 69% stenosis (hazard ratio, 4.1; 95% confidence interval, 1-16.8; P =0.049). The absolute risk of future infarction was 31.7% at 3 years in MRIPH+ve versus 1.8% in patients without ( P medication with clinically uncertain benefit from recanalization, that is, those with moderate degree stenosis and intermediate carotid artery risk scores, MRIPH offers additional risk stratification. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

High-resolution multicontrast-weighted MR imaging from human carotid endarterectomy specimens to assess carotid plaque components

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Fabiano, Sebastiano; Mancino, Stefano; Stefanini, Matteo; Chiocchi, Marcello; Simonetti, Giovanni [University ' ' Tor Vergata' ' , Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Molecular Imaging, Interventional Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Radiotherapy, Rome (Italy); Mauriello, Alessandro; Spagnoli, Luigi Giusto [University ' ' Tor Vergata' ' , Department of Biopathology and Image Diagnostics, Institute of Anatomic Pathology, Rome (Italy)

2008-12-15

The American Heart Association modified classification for atherosclerotic plaque lesions has defined vulnerable plaques as those prone to rupture. The aim of our study was to assess the sensitivity and specificity of 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of the characteristics of plaque components. Twelve carotid endarterectomy specimens were imaged by ex-vivo high-resolution 1.5-T MRI. Thirty-four cross-section axial images were selected for pixel-by-pixel basis analysis to demonstrate the most significant tissue features. Data were then submitted for histopathological examination and each specimen analysed in the light of the histological components (lipid core, fibrous tissue, fibrous/loose connective tissue, calcifications). The overall sensitivity and specificity rates for each tissue type were, respectively, 92% and 74% for the lipid core, 82% and 94% for the fibrous tissue, 72% and 87% for the fibrous/loose connective tissue, and 98% and 99% for calcification. The use of 1.5-T MRI appears to be a reliable tool to characterise plaque components and could help in the screening of patients with high risk of plaque rupture. The possibility of applying MRI in clinical daily practice may change the non-invasive approach to carotid artery diagnostic imaging, thus allowing an early identification of patients with vulnerable plaques. (orig.)

Serum Levels of Platelet Released CD40 Ligand Are Increased in Early Onset Occlusive Carotid Artery Disease

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József Balla

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: Soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L has been suggested as a key mediator between inflammation and atherosclerosis, and the CD40-CD40L interaction has a role in atherosclerotic lesion progression. We evaluated if platelet released serum sCD40L and sCD40 levels differ between patients with early onset occlusive carotid artery disease and age-matched controls.

The relationship between oxidized lipoprotein(a and carotid atherosclerosis in asymptomatic subjects: A comparison with native lipoprotein(a

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Taniguchi Nobuyuki

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Oxidized lipoprotein(a (oxLp(a can be a more potent marker of atherogenesis than native Lp(a, although Lp(a is considered to be a risk factor for atherosclerotic diseases. Limited clinical data are available regarding the significance of oxLp(a in atherosclerotic manifestations. This study aimed to investigate the association between the serum oxLp(a and carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT, in comparison to the serum Lp(a levels, among asymptomatic subjects. Methods The atheroscrerosis-related variables including Lp(a and oxLp(a were measured in 136 cardiovascular disease-free subjects (61 males and 75 females, mean age of 64 years. The serum oxLp(a level was quantified using a sandwich ELISA system. The CIMT level was ultrasonographically measured on bilateral carotid arteries. Results The median level of Lp(a was 120 μmol/L, oxLp(a was 0.06 nmol/L, and CIMT was 0.7 mm, respectively. A simple correlation test showed that the CIMT was significantly and positively correlated with age, systolic blood pressure and oxLp(a (r = 0.208, P Conclusions These results suggest that oxLp(a may be more closely associated with accelerated carotid atherosclerosis, in comparison to Lp(a, in this population. This finding can be important for obtaining a better understanding of the different atherogenic roles played by oxLp(a in comparison to Lp(a.

Toward the detection of intraplaque hemorrhage in carotid artery lesions using photoacoustic imaging

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Arabul, Mustafa Umit; Heres, Maarten; Rutten, Marcel C. M.; van Sambeek, Marc R.; van de Vosse, Frans N.; Lopata, Richard G. P.

2017-04-01

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) may have the ability to reveal the composition and the anatomical structure of carotid plaques, which determines its mechanical properties and vulnerability. We used PAI and plane wave ultrasound (PUS) imaging to obtain three-dimensional (3-D) images of endarterectomy samples ex vivo and compared the results with histology to investigate the potential of PAI-based identification of intraplaque hemorrhage. Seven carotid plaque samples were obtained from patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy and imaged with a fully integrated hand-held photoacoustic (PA) probe, consisting of a pulsed diode laser (tpulse=130 ns, Epulse=1 mJ, λ=808 nm) and a linear array transducer (fc=7.5 MHz). The samples were rotated 360 deg with 10 deg steps, and data were spatially compounded to obtain complete 3-D images of the plaques. Areas of high absorption in the 3-D datasets were identified and compared to histological data of the plaques. Data in six out of seven endarterectomy samples revealed the presence of intraplaque hemorrhages that were not visible in the PUS images. Due to the noninvasive nature of PAI, this ex vivo study may elucidate preclinical studies toward the in vivo, noninvasive, vulnerability assessment of the atherosclerotic carotid plaque.

A comparative analysis of double inversion recovery TFE and TSE sequences on carotid artery wall imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Jun; Di Yujin; Bu Chunqing; Zhang Yanfeng; Li Shuhua

2012-01-01

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of double inversion recovery (DIR) turbo field echo (TFE) and turbo spin echo (TSE) sequences and explore the value of double inversion recovery TFE sequence on carotid artery wall imaging. Patients and methods: 56 patients (32 males and 24 females, aged 31–76 years with a mean age of 53 years) were performed with DIR TFE and DIR TSE T1 weighted imaging (T1WI) sequences on carotid artery bifurcations. Image quality acquired by different techniques were evaluated and scored by two physicians. Whether there is significant difference is determined by SPSS 11.0 software. Paired-samples t test was used for statistics. Results: There was no significant difference in the image quality scores between two sequences (t = 0.880, P = 0.383 > 0.05). Conclusions: DIR TFE sequence has short scanning time and high spatial resolution. DIR TFE sequence can be used as the preferred sequence for screening carotid atherosclerotic plaque compared with DIR TSE sequence.

Proteomic Analysis of Plasma-Purified VLDL, LDL, and HDL Fractions from Atherosclerotic Patients Undergoing Carotid Endarterectomy: Identification of Serum Amyloid A as a Potential Marker

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Antonio J. Lepedda

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Apolipoproteins are very heterogeneous protein family, implicated in plasma lipoprotein structural stabilization, lipid metabolism, inflammation, or immunity. Obtaining detailed information on apolipoprotein composition and structure may contribute to elucidating lipoprotein roles in atherogenesis and to developing new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of lipoprotein-associated disorders. This study aimed at developing a comprehensive method for characterizing the apolipoprotein component of plasma VLDL, LDL, and HDL fractions from patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy, by means of two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE coupled with Mass Spectrometry analysis, useful for identifying potential markers of plaque presence and vulnerability. The adopted method allowed obtaining reproducible 2-DE maps of exchangeable apolipoproteins from VLDL, LDL, and HDL. Twenty-three protein isoforms were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting analysis. Differential proteomic analysis allowed for identifying increased levels of acute-phase serum amyloid A protein (AP SAA in all lipoprotein fractions, especially in LDL from atherosclerotic patients. Results have been confirmed by western blotting analysis on each lipoprotein fraction using apo AI levels for data normalization. The higher levels of AP SAA found in patients suggest a role of LDL as AP SAA carrier into the subendothelial space of artery wall, where AP SAA accumulates and may exert noxious effects.

Collateral circulation alters downstream hemodynamic stress caused by intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis.

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Liu, Xin; Dornbos, David; Pu, Yuehua; Leng, Xinyi; Song, Ligang; Jia, Baixue; Pan, Yuesong; Wang, David; Miao, Zhongrong; Wang, Yilong; Liu, Liping; Wang, Yongjun

2017-06-01

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) accurately predicts the degree of stenosis and is now widely used to identify clinically significant severe coronary artery lesions. In the current study, we utilized a similar indicator, fractional flow (FF), to determine the hemodynamic impact of symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) and to assess the correlation of FF with the severity of stenosis and collateral circulation. Patients with symptomatic ICAS (70-99% stenosis) confirmed on digital subtraction angiography (DSA) were consecutively recruited. FF was obtained during DSA examination with the use of pressure sensors and was measured as a ratio, comparing measurements distal to an ICAS lesion (Pd) and within the aorta (Pa). The degree of leptomeningeal collateralization was graded from zero (absent) to four (complete compensatory). The correlation between FF, anatomical stenosis, and collateral status was then analyzed. Twenty-five patients with a mean age of 55.6 years were analyzed. The median percentage of stenosis and median FF were 82.3 and 0.68%, respectively. Eleven patients were found to have poor collateralization (grade 0-2), and fourteen patients were identified with good collateral circulation (grade 3-4). Overall, the hemodynamic impact of an atherosclerotic lesions worsened (decreased FF) as the percentage of stenosis increased, although this did not reach statistical significance (r = -0.398, p = 0.06). However, the status of collateralization significantly altered this correlation, worsening the hemodynamic impact in patients with poor collateral circulation (r = -0.677, p = 0.032). There was no difference in patients with good collateral circulation (r = -0.279, p = 0.356). An anatomically severe (70-99%) symptomatic ICAS lesion may generate significant hemodynamic stress downstream as assessed by the indicator FF, particularly in patients with poor collateral circulation. Further, good collateralization may mitigate this

Fish-Free Diet in Patients with Phenylketonuria Is Not Associated with Early Atherosclerotic Changes and Enhanced Platelet Activation.

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Patrik Htun

Full Text Available Since patients with phenylketonuria (PKU have to follow a lifelong restriction of natural protein to lower phenylalanine-intake, they never eat fish. This diet may lead to a chronic deficit of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids with the risk of early atherosclerotic changes. The aim of the study was to analyse the fatty acid profile of PKU patients and to correlate the results with surrogate markers of early atherosclerotic changes [enhanced carotid intima media thickness (CIMT and ß-stiffness index] and platelet activation.In 43 PKU patients and in 58 healthy controls we prospectively examined the fatty acid profile, CIMT, ß-stiffness index and platelet activation (flow cytometric determination of markers of platelet activation. CIMT was measured bilaterally by ultrasound. CIMTmean was defined as the mean value of the sum of CIMTleft and CIMTright.Despite of lower HDL-cholesterol and higher triglyceride concentrations in the PKU group, there was no significant difference in the omega-6 or omega-3 fatty acid profile, CIMT, ß-stiffness index between both groups. Platelet activation was not enhanced in the PKU group.Fish-free diet does not induce early atherosclerotic changes or enhanced platelet activation in PKU patients.

Fish-Free Diet in Patients with Phenylketonuria Is Not Associated with Early Atherosclerotic Changes and Enhanced Platelet Activation.

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Htun, Patrik; Nee, Jens; Ploeckinger, Ursula; Eder, Klaus; Geisler, Tobias; Gawaz, Meinrad; Bocksch, Wolfgang; Fateh-Moghadam, Suzanne

2015-01-01

Since patients with phenylketonuria (PKU) have to follow a lifelong restriction of natural protein to lower phenylalanine-intake, they never eat fish. This diet may lead to a chronic deficit of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids with the risk of early atherosclerotic changes. The aim of the study was to analyse the fatty acid profile of PKU patients and to correlate the results with surrogate markers of early atherosclerotic changes [enhanced carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and ß-stiffness index] and platelet activation. In 43 PKU patients and in 58 healthy controls we prospectively examined the fatty acid profile, CIMT, ß-stiffness index and platelet activation (flow cytometric determination of markers of platelet activation). CIMT was measured bilaterally by ultrasound. CIMTmean was defined as the mean value of the sum of CIMTleft and CIMTright. Despite of lower HDL-cholesterol and higher triglyceride concentrations in the PKU group, there was no significant difference in the omega-6 or omega-3 fatty acid profile, CIMT, ß-stiffness index between both groups. Platelet activation was not enhanced in the PKU group. Fish-free diet does not induce early atherosclerotic changes or enhanced platelet activation in PKU patients.

Correlation of atherosclerotic changes in peripheral arteries with pathological involvement of aortic arch in coronary bypass patients

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Eshraghi N

2010-10-01

Full Text Available "nBackground: A correlation between coronary artery disease (CAD and atherosclerosis of peripheral arteries and the determination of noninvasive indexes for its existence and extent have been sought by many researchers. Some studies report that the intima-media thickness (IMT of peripheral arteries could play this role. This study evaluated the correlation between the IMTs of common carotid and common femoral arteries and the degree of atherosclerosis in aortic arch and to evaluate the severity of CAD in candidates of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG."n "nMethods: In a cross-sectional analytic-descriptive study, The severity of CAD, the grade of atherosclerosis of the aortic arch, and the IMTs of the common carotid and common femoral arteries were determined."n "nResults: There was a significant weak positive correlation between the IMT of common carotid artery (ρ = 0.193, p = 0.039 and common femoral artery (ρ = 0.206, p = 0.028 with the number of involved carotid vessels; the mean of these two parameters was not significantly different between the three CAD groups. There was not any significant relation between the IMTs of common carotid and common femoral arteries with the severity of atherosclerosis in the aortic arch too. There was not any significant relation between the presences of atherosclerotic plaque in the common carotid or the common femoral arteries with the severity of CAD. The severe atherosclerosis of the aortic arch was significantly higher in patients with three vessel disease."n "nConclusion: According to our results, the IMTs of common carotid and/or common femoral arteries may increase with the severity of CAD; however, these parameters are not a surrogate for predicting the CAD severity.

Endovascular stent-assisted thrombolysis in acute occlusive carotid artery dissection

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Mourand, Isabelle [Hopital Gui de Chauliac, Department of Neurology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, Cedex 5 (France); Hopital Gui de Chauliac, Department of Neurology, Service de Neurologie, Montpellier, Cedex 5 (France); Brunel, Herve; Vendrell, Jean-Francois; Bonafe, Alain [Hopital Gui de Chauliac, Department of Neuroradiology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, Cedex 5 (France); Thouvenot, Eric [Hopital Gui de Chauliac, Department of Neurology, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, Cedex 5 (France)

2010-02-15

Internal carotid artery dissection with tandem internal carotid and middle cerebral artery occlusion may be responsible for large cerebral infarction that carries a general poor prognosis. Recanalization of internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection by stent-assisted thrombolysis has been recently proposed. We report two cases of acute symptomatic ICA dissection with tandem occlusion successfully treated with emergent endovascular stent-assisted thrombolysis using new self-expandable intracranial stents. A 37-year-old woman and a 59-year-old man were admitted in our hospital after acute severe symptoms of right-hemispheric stroke with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores of 15 and 18, respectively. In both cases, magnetic resonance angiography showed tandem occlusion and angiography confirmed tandem occlusion with ICA dissection. An extensive mismatch region was diagnosed by Perfusion-diffusion MRI of the brain within 3 h after symptoms onset. Treatment was initiated 4 h after symptom onset by implantation of self-expandable intracranial stents into the dissected ICA and administration of intra-arterial recombinant tissue plasminogen activator. Recanalization of the ICA and middle cerebral artery (MCA) was accomplished within 6 h after symptoms onset. In both cases, no periprocedural complication was observed and follow-up CT scan showed only a mild brain infarct in the MCA territory. After, respectively, 12 and 10 months follow-up, patients had a favorable outcome with NIHSS 0 and mRS {<=}1. Endovascular stent-assisted thrombolysis appears to be a promising treatment in tandem occlusion due to ICA dissection. Our work underline the potential use of self-expandable intracranial stents in symptomatic acute ICA dissection. (orig.)

Carotid Stenting in Patients With High Risk Versus Standard Risk for Open Carotid Endarterectomy (REAL-1 Trial).

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De Haro, Joaquin; Michel, Ignacio; Bleda, Silvia; Cañibano, Cristina; Acin, Francisco

2017-07-15

Carotid stenting (CAS) has been mainly offered to those patients considered at "high risk" for open carotid endarterectomy based on available data from large randomized clinical trials. However, several recent studies have called medical "high risk" into question for CAS indication. The REAL-1 trial evaluated the safety and perioperative and long-term effectiveness in patients with significant carotid artery stenosis with "high-risk" criteria treated with CAS and proximal protection device (MOMA) compared with those with standard surgical-risk features. This nonrandomized double-arm registry included 125 patients (40% symptomatic), 71 (56%) with "standard-risk" and 54 (44%) with "high-risk" criteria. The primary end point was the cumulative incidence of any major adverse event, a composite of stroke, myocardial infarction, and death within 30 days after the intervention or ipsilateral stroke after 30 days and up to 4 years. There was no significant difference in primary end point rate at 30 days between patients at "standard risk" and those with "high risk" (1.4% vs 1.9% respectively; hazard ratio for "standard risk" 1.1; 95% CI 0.8 to 1.2, p = 0.77) nor estimated 4-year rate of ipsilateral stroke (1.3% vs 1.8%; hazard ratio for "standard risk" 1.05, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.14, p = 0.9). In conclusion, 4-year postprocedure results demonstrated that CAS with proximal device (MOMA) is safe and effective for patients with and without "high-risk" for carotid endarterectomy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The CLEAR-ROAD study: evaluation of a new dual layer micromesh stent system for the carotid artery.

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Bosiers, Marc; Deloose, Koen; Torsello, Giovanni; Scheinert, Dierk; Maene, Lieven; Peeters, Patrick; Müller-Hülsbeck, Stefan; Sievert, Horst; Langhoff, Ralf; Bosiers, Michel; Setacci, Carlo

2016-08-05

The aim of this study was to evaluate the 30-day clinical outcome of treatment using the Roadsaver carotid stent in non-consecutive subjects at high risk for carotid endarterectomy requiring revascularisation. The CLEAR-ROAD study is a prospective, multinational, single-arm, physician-initiated study planned to include 100 patients in nine centres in Belgium, Italy and Germany. The primary endpoint was the 30-day rate of major adverse events (MAE), defined as the cumulative incidence of any death, stroke or myocardial infarction (MI). The use of embolic protection devices (EPDs) was not mandatory; 31.0% of the patients were symptomatic and in 58.0% of the patients EPDs were used. Technical success was achieved in all cases. The 30-day MAE rate was 2.1% (one patient experienced MI followed by death; another patient experienced a stroke within the first 30 days after procedure). While no statistical analysis could be performed, subgroup data suggested that there were no notable differences in the 30-day MAE rate between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, or between EPD use. The 30-day clinical outcome of 100 patients treated with a dual layer micromesh carotid stent (Roadsaver) shows promising results. The Roadsaver stent is a safe and effective device for endovascular treatment of subjects at high risk for carotid endarterectomy.

Intraoperative Hypoglossal Nerve Mapping During Carotid Endarterectomy: Technical Note.

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Kojima, Atsuhiro; Saga, Isako; Ishikawa, Mami

2018-05-01

Hypoglossal nerve deficit is a possible complication caused by carotid endarterectomy (CEA). The accidental injury of the hypoglossal nerve during surgery is one of the major reasons for permanent hypoglossal nerve palsy. In this study, we investigated the usefulness of intraoperative mapping of the hypoglossal nerve to identify this nerve during CEA. Five consecutive patients who underwent CEA for the treatment of symptomatic or asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis were studied. A hand-held probe was used to detect the hypoglossal nerve in the operative field, and the tongue motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded. The tongue MEPs were obtained in all the patients. The invisible hypoglossal nerve was successfully identified without any difficulty when the internal carotid artery was exposed. Intraoperative mapping was particularly useful for identifying the hypoglossal nerve when the hypoglossal nerve passed beneath the posterior belly of the digastric muscle. In 1 of 2 cases, MEP was also elicited when the ansa cervicalis was stimulated, although the resulting amplitude was much smaller than that obtained by direct stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve. Postoperatively, none of the patients presented with hypoglossal nerve palsy. Intraoperative hypoglossal nerve mapping enabled us to locate the invisible hypoglossal nerve during the exposure of the internal carotid artery accurately without retracting the posterior belly of the digastric muscle and other tissues in the vicinity of the internal carotid artery. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of carotid stenosis with axial high-resolution black-blood MR imaging

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U-King-Im, Jean M.; Trivedi, Rikin A.; Sala, Evis; Graves, Martin J.; Gaskarth, Mathew; Higgins, Nicholas J.; Cross, Justin C.; Coulden, Richard A.; Antoun, Nagui M.; Gillard, Jonathan H. [University Department of Radiology, Addenbrooke' s Hospital, CB2 2QQ, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Hollingworth, William [Department of Radiology, University of Washington, 98103, Seattle, WA (United States); Kirkpatrick, Peter J. [Academic Department of Neurosurgery, Addenbrooke' s Hospital, CB2 2QQ, Cambridge (United Kingdom)

2004-07-01

High-resolution axial black-blood MR imaging (BB MRI) has been shown to be able to characterise carotid plaque morphology. The aim of this study was to explore the accuracy of this technique in quantifying the severity of carotid stenosis. A prospective study of 54 patients with symptomatic carotid disease was conducted, comparing BB MRI to the gold standard, conventional digital subtraction X-ray angiography (DSA). The BB MRI sequence was a fast-spin echo acquisition (TE=42 ms, ETL=24, field of view = 100 x 100 mm, slice thickness = 3.0 mm) at 1.5 T using a custom-built phased-array coil. Linear measurements of luminal and outer carotid wall diameter were made directly from the axial BB MRI slices by three independent blinded readers and stenosis was calculated according to European Carotid Surgery Trial (ECST) criteria. There was good agreement between BB MRI and DSA (intraclass correlation = 0.83). Inter-observer agreement was good (average kappa = 0.77). BB MRI was accurate for detection of severe stenosis ({>=}80%) with sensitivity and specificity of 87 and 81%, respectively. Eight cases of ''DSA-defined'' moderate stenosis were overestimated as severe by BB MRI and this may be related to non-circular lumens. Axial imaging with BB MRI could potentially be used to provide useful information about severity of carotid stenosis. (orig.)

Impact of Hypertriglyceridemia on Carotid Stenosis Progression under Normal Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels.

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Kitagami, Masayuki; Yasuda, Ryuta; Toma, Naoki; Shiba, Masato; Nampei, Mai; Yamamoto, Yoko; Nakatsuka, Yoshinari; Sakaida, Hiroshi; Suzuki, Hidenori

2017-08-01

Dyslipidemia is a well-known risk factor for carotid stenosis progression, but triglycerides have attracted little attention. The aim of this study was to assess if serum triglycerides affect progression of carotid stenosis in patients with well-controlled low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. This is a retrospective study in a single hospital consisting of 71 Japanese patients with internal carotid artery stenosis greater than or equal to 50% and normal serum LDL-C levels who underwent angiographic examination with or without the resultant carotid artery stenting or endarterectomy from 2007 to 2011, and were subsequently followed up for 4 years. Clinical factors including fasting serum triglyceride values were compared between the progression (≥10% increase in degree of carotid stenosis on ultrasonography) and the nonprogression groups. During 4 years, 15 patients (21.1%) had carotid stenosis progression on either side. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that symptomatic cases (hazard ratio [HR], 4.327; P = .019), coexisting intracranial arteriosclerotic stenosis (HR, 5.341; P = .005), and hypertriglyceridemia (HR, 6.228; P = .011) were associated with subsequent progression of carotid stenosis. Kaplan-Meier plots demonstrated that the progression-free survival rate was significantly higher in patients without hypertriglyceridemia and intracranial arteriosclerotic stenosis at baseline. Among patients with moderate to severe carotid stenosis and well-controlled LDL-C, hypertriglyceridemia was an important risk factor for progression of carotid stenosis irrespective of surgical treatments. It would be worthwhile to test if triglyceride-lowering medications suppress carotid stenosis progression. Copyright © 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Carotid Stenting with Distal Protection in High-Surgical-Risk Patients: One-Year Results of the ASTI Trial

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Bosiers, Marc, E-mail: marc.bosiers@telenet.be [A.Z. Sint-Blasius, Department of Vascular Surgery (Belgium); Scheinert, Dierk, E-mail: dierk.scheinert@gmx.de [Park Hospital, Center for Vascular Medicine-Angiology and Vascular Surgery (Germany); Mathias, Klaus, E-mail: k.mathias@asklepios.com [Klinikum Dortmund GmbH (Germany); Langhoff, Ralf, E-mail: ralf.langhoff@sankt-gertrauden.de [Sankt Gertrauden-Krankenhaus (Germany); Mudra, Harald, E-mail: haraldmudra@aol.com [Klinikum Neuperlach (Germany); Diaz-Cartelle, Juan, E-mail: juan.diazcartelle@bostonscientific.com [One Boston Scientific Place, Boston Scientific Corporation (United States)

2015-04-15

PurposeThis prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized study evaluated the periprocedural and 1-year outcomes in high-surgical-risk patients with carotid artery stenosis treated with the Adapt Carotid Stent plus FilterWire EZ distal protection catheter (Boston Scientific Corporation, Natick, MA).Materials and MethodsThe study enrolled 100 patients (32 symptomatic, 63 asymptomatic, 5 unknown) at high risk for carotid endarterectomy due to prespecified anatomical criteria and/or medical comorbidities. Thirty-day and 1-year follow-up included clinical evaluation, carotid duplex ultrasound, and independent neurologic and NIH stroke scale assessments. One-year endpoints included the composite rate of major adverse events (MAE), defined as death, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI) and the rates of late ipsilateral stroke (31–365 days), target lesion revascularization, and in-stent restenosis.ResultsOf the 100 enrolled patients, technical success was achieved in 90.9 % (90/99). The 30-day MAE rate (5.1 %) consisted of major stroke (2.0 %) and minor stroke (3.1 %); no deaths or MIs occurred. The 1-year MAE rate (12.2 %) consisted of death, MI, and stroke rates of 4.4, 3.3, and 8.9 %, respectively. Late ipsilateral stroke (31–365 days) rate was 1.1 %. Symptomatic patients had higher rates of death (11.1 vs. 1.7 %) and MI (7.4 vs. 1.7 %), but lower rates of major (7.4 vs. 10.0 %) and minor stroke (0.0 vs. 6.7 %), compared with asymptomatic patients.ConclusionResults through 1 year postprocedure demonstrated that carotid artery stenting with Adapt Carotid Stent and FilterWire EZ is safe and effective in high-risk-surgical patients.

Carotid Stenting with Distal Protection in High-Surgical-Risk Patients: One-Year Results of the ASTI Trial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bosiers, Marc; Scheinert, Dierk; Mathias, Klaus; Langhoff, Ralf; Mudra, Harald; Diaz-Cartelle, Juan

2015-01-01

PurposeThis prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized study evaluated the periprocedural and 1-year outcomes in high-surgical-risk patients with carotid artery stenosis treated with the Adapt Carotid Stent plus FilterWire EZ distal protection catheter (Boston Scientific Corporation, Natick, MA).Materials and MethodsThe study enrolled 100 patients (32 symptomatic, 63 asymptomatic, 5 unknown) at high risk for carotid endarterectomy due to prespecified anatomical criteria and/or medical comorbidities. Thirty-day and 1-year follow-up included clinical evaluation, carotid duplex ultrasound, and independent neurologic and NIH stroke scale assessments. One-year endpoints included the composite rate of major adverse events (MAE), defined as death, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI) and the rates of late ipsilateral stroke (31–365 days), target lesion revascularization, and in-stent restenosis.ResultsOf the 100 enrolled patients, technical success was achieved in 90.9 % (90/99). The 30-day MAE rate (5.1 %) consisted of major stroke (2.0 %) and minor stroke (3.1 %); no deaths or MIs occurred. The 1-year MAE rate (12.2 %) consisted of death, MI, and stroke rates of 4.4, 3.3, and 8.9 %, respectively. Late ipsilateral stroke (31–365 days) rate was 1.1 %. Symptomatic patients had higher rates of death (11.1 vs. 1.7 %) and MI (7.4 vs. 1.7 %), but lower rates of major (7.4 vs. 10.0 %) and minor stroke (0.0 vs. 6.7 %), compared with asymptomatic patients.ConclusionResults through 1 year postprocedure demonstrated that carotid artery stenting with Adapt Carotid Stent and FilterWire EZ is safe and effective in high-risk-surgical patients

Evaluation of radiotracers for the detection of atherosclerotic vulnerable plaque and myocardial angiogenesis

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Dimastromatteo, Julien

2010-01-01

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Coronary events are mainly caused by coronary plaque rupture or erosion. However, at present, there is no noninvasive tool available for the detection of vulnerable plaques. The first part of thesis is about evaluation of new radiotracers for the detection of atherosclerotic vulnerable plaques. 99m Tc-B2702p, 20 derivatives, 99m Tc-VP and 99m Tc-VINP28 were evaluated in an experimental model of atherosclerosis (ApoE-/- mice with left carotid artery ligation). 99m Tc- B2702p1 is a potentially useful radiotracer for the in vivo molecular imaging of VCAM-1 expression in atherosclerotic plaques. Myocardial angiogenesis is an important post infarction phenomenon. Angiogenic therapy improves experimentally cardiac parameters. However, clinical trials using the same therapy are more controversial. At present, clinical imaging tools don't allow us to assess angiogenesis therapy. The second part of thesis is about validation of 99m Tc-RAFT-RGD in the detection of myocardial angiogenesis. 99m Tc-RAFT-RGD allow us to perform noninvasive molecular imaging of myocardial angiogenesis in an experimental model. (author)

Characterising human atherosclerotic carotid plaque tissue composition and morphology using combined spectroscopic and imaging modalities.

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Barrett, Hilary E; Mulvihill, John J; Cunnane, Eoghan M; Walsh, Michael T

2015-01-01

Calcification is a marked pathological component in carotid artery plaque. Studies have suggested that calcification may induce regions of high stress concentrations therefore increasing the potential for rupture. However, the mechanical behaviour of the plaque under the influence of calcification is not fully understood. A method of accurately characterising the calcification coupled with the associated mechanical plaque properties is needed to better understand the impact of calcification on the mechanical behaviour of the plaque during minimally invasive treatments. This study proposes a comparison of biochemical and structural characterisation methods of the calcification in carotid plaque specimens to identify plaque mechanical behaviour. Biochemical analysis, by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, was used to identify the key components, including calcification, in each plaque sample. However, FTIR has a finite penetration depth which may limit the accuracy of the calcification measurement. Therefore, this FTIR analysis was coupled with the identification of the calcification inclusions located internally in the plaque specimen using micro x-ray computed tomography (μX-CT) which measures the calcification volume fraction (CVF) to total tissue content. The tissue characterisation processes were then applied to the mechanical material plaque properties acquired from experimental circumferential loading of human carotid plaque specimen for comparison of the methods. FTIR characterised the degree of plaque progression by identifying the functional groups associated with lipid, collagen and calcification in each specimen. This identified a negative relationship between stiffness and 'lipid to collagen' and 'calcification to collagen' ratios. However, μX-CT results suggest that CVF measurements relate to overall mechanical stiffness, while peak circumferential strength values may be dependent on specific calcification geometries. This study

Delayed Cerebral Ischemia following to Repair of Penetrating Trauma to External Carotid artery Introduction

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M. Eskandarlou

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Penetrating trauma to anterior neck can induce cerebral ischemia due to carotid artery injury. Brain ischemia also can present after surgical carotid repairs. Early diagnosis and suitable treatment modality prevent from permanent neurologic deficit post operatively. Case Report: A 30 years old man with stab wound to zone two left side of neck underwent exploration and penrose insertion. Due to excessive bleeding through drain tube, patient was transferred to Besat Hospital of Hamadan. Surgical repair of external carotid artery successfully was done. Four days later patient developed right hemiparesis suddenly. According to MRI and color Doppler sonography finding of thrombosis of left common and internal carotid artery, reoperation was done. After thrombectomy cerebral ischemia and hemi-paralysis improved. Conclusions: Surgical approach to symptomatic penetrating neck trauma is oblique cervical incision, control of bleeding, repair of internal carotid, repair or ligature of external carotid artery base on some factors and preferential repair of internal jugular vein. Meticulous and fine surgical technique for both vascular repair and protection of adjacent normal vessels for avoiding to blunt trauma or compression with retractors is noticeable. Exact postoperative care as repeated clinical examination with goal of early diagnosis of internal carotid artery thrombosis and rapid diagnostic and treatment planning of this complication are important factors for taking of good result in treatment of penetrating trauma to carotid. Sci J Hamadan Univ Med Sci . 2016; 22 (4 :353-357

Endovascular stent-assisted thrombolysis in acute occlusive carotid artery dissection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mourand, Isabelle; Brunel, Herve; Vendrell, Jean-Francois; Bonafe, Alain; Thouvenot, Eric

2010-01-01

Internal carotid artery dissection with tandem internal carotid and middle cerebral artery occlusion may be responsible for large cerebral infarction that carries a general poor prognosis. Recanalization of internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection by stent-assisted thrombolysis has been recently proposed. We report two cases of acute symptomatic ICA dissection with tandem occlusion successfully treated with emergent endovascular stent-assisted thrombolysis using new self-expandable intracranial stents. A 37-year-old woman and a 59-year-old man were admitted in our hospital after acute severe symptoms of right-hemispheric stroke with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores of 15 and 18, respectively. In both cases, magnetic resonance angiography showed tandem occlusion and angiography confirmed tandem occlusion with ICA dissection. An extensive mismatch region was diagnosed by Perfusion-diffusion MRI of the brain within 3 h after symptoms onset. Treatment was initiated 4 h after symptom onset by implantation of self-expandable intracranial stents into the dissected ICA and administration of intra-arterial recombinant tissue plasminogen activator. Recanalization of the ICA and middle cerebral artery (MCA) was accomplished within 6 h after symptoms onset. In both cases, no periprocedural complication was observed and follow-up CT scan showed only a mild brain infarct in the MCA territory. After, respectively, 12 and 10 months follow-up, patients had a favorable outcome with NIHSS 0 and mRS ≤1. Endovascular stent-assisted thrombolysis appears to be a promising treatment in tandem occlusion due to ICA dissection. Our work underline the potential use of self-expandable intracranial stents in symptomatic acute ICA dissection. (orig.)

TREATMENT OF INTERNAL CAROTID ARTERY OCCLUSION USING PROXIMAL CEREBRAL PROTECTION DEVICE AND ITS EFFECT ON THE BLOOD PRESSURE DYNAMICS. CLINICAL CASE

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F. В. Shukurov

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In 2016, according to the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, about 200 thousand people died from stroke. Strokes are considered as the main cause of disability of the population, causing huge economic damage to the country. One of the most common causes of ischemic stroke is atherosclerosis of the branches of the aortic arch. The most common localization of atherosclerotic plaques is the extracranial section of the carotid arteries – bifurcation and ostium of the common carotid artery and the internal carotid artery. Recanalization of occlusion of the internal carotid artery until recently was an insoluble task for interventional surgery due to the high risk of distal embolization. The invention and use of the proximal cerebral protection device, which ensure the complete cessation of blood flow, has changed the situation. Effect of carotid revascularization on arterial hypertension, due to the effect on the baroreceptors of the carotid plexus by balloon angioplasty, which leads to a reflex decrease in arterial pressure, is an additional advantage of the endovascular technique in some cases. This effect requires further study. One also needs to pay careful attention to the diagnosis and imaging of carotid artery lesions before procedure. This clinical case is the illustration that an adequate assessment of the risk factors for intraoperative complications allows to achieve maximum results of endovascular treatment.

320-Multidetector row whole-head dynamic subtracted CT angiography and whole-brain CT perfusion before and after carotid artery stenting: Technical note

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

San Millan Ruiz, Diego; Murphy, Kieran; Gailloud, Philippe

2010-01-01

Introduction: Multidetector CT (MDCT) is increasingly used for the investigation of neurovascular disorders, but restricted z-axis coverage (3.2 cm for 64-MDCT) currently limits perfusion to a small portion of the brain close to the circle of Willis, and precludes dynamic angiographic appreciation of the entire brain circulation. We illustrate the clinical potential of recently developed 320-MDCT extending the z-axis coverage to 16 cm in a patient with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. Methods: In a 74-year-old patient presenting with critical symptomatic stenosis of the left CCA, pre- and post-carotid artery stenting whole-head subtracted dynamic MDCT angiography and perfusion were obtained in addition to CT angiography of the supra-aortic trunks. Both whole-head subtracted MDCT angiography and perfusion demonstrated delayed left ICA circulation, which normalized after carotid stenting. Discussion: 320-MDCT offers unprecedented z-axis coverage allowing for whole-brain perfusion and subtracted dynamic angiography of the entire intracranial circulation. These innovations can consolidate the role of MDCT as a first intention imaging technique for cerebrovascular disorders, in particular for the acute management of stroke.

Use of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9 and its tissue inhibitor (TIMP-1 in the pathomorphological diagnosis of carotid pathology: literature review and own observations

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Yu. I. Kuzyk

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs are the degradative enzymes of the extracellular matrix. Currently, the role of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the progression of atherosclerosis (AS is proved. The question of possible involvement of MMP-9 into elastin degradation in fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD and pathological tortuosity (PT remains open and insufficiently explored. The aim of the study – analysis of the current literature on the role of degradative enzymes in the development of carotid pathology and study of the expression of type I, III, IV collagens, MMP-9 and TIPM-1 in the wall of the carotid arteries in FMD, PT and AS. Materials and methods included literature review and own research. Immunohistochemical study of type I, III and IV collagens, TIMP-1 and MMP-9 was carried out on surgical material of patients with main carotid diseases: three observations with AS, two – with FMD, two – with PT. The level of expression was assessed by semiquantitative method. Results. Own observations showed that in FMD types I and III collagen content in the media and in the adventitia remains unchanged. MMP-9 expression level reached the highest level of intensity in atherosclerotic plaques, particularly in macrophages, constituting the main part of the atheromatous mass. Moderate intensity of expression is noted in FMD and PT. In PT expression prevailed in the lower third of the media on the border with adventitia, including the adventitia, in FMD – mainly in the media. The level of TIMP-1 is weakly positive in PT and FMD, negative in AS. Conclusions. These results demonstrate the possibility of using MMP-9 and TIMP-1 as a morphological marker determining pathological processes in carotid pathology. Data of immunohistochemical study of type I, II, IV collagens indicate moderate expression of collagen type I in FMD and PT, severe expression of collagen III in FMD, moderate in PT. Type IV collagen is highly expressed in atherosclerotic plaques. For AS high

Indium-111 platelet scintigraphy in carotid disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Branchereau, A.; Bernard, P.J.; Ciosi, G.; Bazan, M.; de Laforte, C.; Elias, A.; Bouvier, J.L.

1988-01-01

Forty-five patients (35 men, 10 women) undergoing carotid surgery had Indium-111 platelet scintigraphy as part of their preoperative work-up. Imaging was performed within three hours after injection of the Indium-111. A second series of views was obtained 24 hours later and repeated at 24 hour intervals for two days. Of 54 scintigrams, 22 were positive and 32 negative. Positive results were defined as a twofold or more increase in local activity on a visualized carotid after 24 hours. The sensitivity of the method was 41%, intraoperatively, and the specificity, 100%. The low sensitivity places this method behind sonography and duplex-scanning for screening patients for surgery. We believe that indications for platelet scintigraphy are limited to: 1. Repeated transient ischemic attacks in the same territory with minimal lesions on arteriography and non-homogeneous plaque on duplex scan; 2. Symptomatic patients being treated medically as a possible argument for surgery; 3. Determining therapeutic policy for patients having experienced a transient ischemic attack with a coexisting intracardiac thrombus

Nuclear microprobe investigation into the trace elemental contents of carotid artery walls of apolipoprotein E deficient mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren Minqin; Huang En; Beck, Konstanze; Rajendran, Reshmi; Wu, Ben J.; Halliwell, Barry; Watt, Frank; Stocker, Roland

2007-01-01

Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease that causes lesions in large and medium-sized arteries. There is increasing evidence that the function of vascular endothelial cells is impaired by oxidation reactions, and that metal ions may participate in these processes. The nuclear microscopy facility in NUS, which has the ability to focus a 2 MeV proton beam down to sub micron spot sizes, was used to investigate the trace elemental changes (e.g. Zn and Fe) in atherosclerotic lesions in the common carotid artery of apolipoprotein E deficient mice fed a high fat diet. In this preliminary study, which is part of a larger study to investigate the effects of probucol on carotid artery atherosclerosis, two sets of mice were used; a test set fed a high fat diet +1% probucol, and a control set which was fed a high fat diet only. The results show that the Zn/Fe ratio was significantly higher in the media of arteries of probucol treated animals without overlying lesion (4.3) compared to the media with overlying lesion (1.3) (p = 0.004) for test mice. For the control mice, the arterial Zn/Fe ratio was 1.8 for media without overlying lesion, compared with 1.0 for media with overlying lesion (p = 0.1). Thus, for media without overlying lesion, the Zn/Fe ratio was significantly higher (p = 0.009) in probucol-treated (4.3) than control mice (1.8), whereas there was little difference in the ratios between the two groups in media with overlying lesion (1.3 compared with 1.0). These preliminary results are consistent with the idea that the levels of iron and zinc concentrations within the artery wall may influence the formation of atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid artery

Association between age and risk of stroke or death from carotid endarterectomy and carotid stenting: a meta-analysis of pooled patient data from four randomised trials.

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Howard, George; Roubin, Gary S; Jansen, Olav; Hendrikse, Jeroen; Halliday, Alison; Fraedrich, Gustav; Eckstein, Hans-Henning; Calvet, David; Bulbulia, Richard; Bonati, Leo H; Becquemin, Jean-Pierre; Algra, Ale; Brown, Martin M; Ringleb, Peter A; Brott, Thomas G; Mas, Jean-Louis

2016-03-26

Age was reported to be an effect-modifier in four randomised controlled trials comparing carotid artery stenting (CAS) and carotid endarterectomy (CEA), with better CEA outcomes than CAS outcomes noted in the more elderly patients. We aimed to describe the association of age with treatment differences in symptomatic patients and provide age-specific estimates of the risk of stroke and death within narrow (5 year) age groups. In this meta-analysis, we analysed individual patient-level data from four randomised controlled trials within the Carotid Stenosis Trialists' Collaboration (CSTC) involving patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis. We included only trials that randomly assigned patients to CAS or CEA and only patients with symptomatic stenosis. We assessed rates of stroke or death in 5-year age groups in the periprocedural period (between randomisation and 120 days) and ipsilateral stroke during long-term follow-up for patients assigned to CAS or CEA. We also assessed differences between CAS and CEA. All analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. Collectively, 4754 patients were randomly assigned to either CEA or CAS treatment in the four studies. 433 events occurred over a median follow-up of 2·7 years. For patients assigned to CAS, the periprocedural hazard ratio (HR) for stroke and death in patients aged 65-69 years compared with patients younger than 60 years was 2·16 (95% CI 1·13-4·13), with HRs of roughly 4·0 for patients aged 70 years or older. We noted no evidence of an increased periprocedural risk by age group in the CEA group (p=0·34). These changes underpinned a CAS-versus CEA periprocedural HR of 1·61 (95% CI 0·90-2·88) for patients aged 65-69 years and an HR of 2·09 (1·32-3·32) for patients aged 70-74 years. Age was not associated with the postprocedural stroke risk either within treatment group (p≥0·09 for CAS and 0·83 for CEA), or between treatment groups (p=0·84). In these RCTs, CEA was clearly superior to CAS in

Effect of calcification on the mechanical stability of plaque based on a three-dimensional carotid bifurcation model

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2012-01-01

Background This study characterizes the distribution and components of plaque structure by presenting a three-dimensional blood-vessel modelling with the aim of determining mechanical properties due to the effect of lipid core and calcification within a plaque. Numerical simulation has been used to answer how cap thickness and calcium distribution in lipids influence the biomechanical stress on the plaque. Method Modelling atherosclerotic plaque based on structural analysis confirms the rationale for plaque mechanical examination and the feasibility of our simulation model. Meaningful validation of predictions from modelled atherosclerotic plaque model typically requires examination of bona fide atherosclerotic lesions. To analyze a more accurate plaque rupture, fluid-structure interaction is applied to three-dimensional blood-vessel carotid bifurcation modelling. A patient-specific pressure variation is applied onto the plaque to influence its vulnerability. Results Modelling of the human atherosclerotic artery with varying degrees of lipid core elasticity, fibrous cap thickness and calcification gap, which is defined as the distance between the fibrous cap and calcification agglomerate, form the basis of our rupture analysis. Finite element analysis shows that the calcification gap should be conservatively smaller than its threshold to maintain plaque stability. The results add new mechanistic insights and methodologically sound data to investigate plaque rupture mechanics. Conclusion Structural analysis using a three-dimensional calcified model represents a more realistic simulation of late-stage atherosclerotic plaque. We also demonstrate that increases of calcium content that is coupled with a decrease in lipid core volume can stabilize plaque structurally. PMID:22336469

Effect of calcification on the mechanical stability of plaque based on a three-dimensional carotid bifurcation model

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Wong Kelvin KL

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study characterizes the distribution and components of plaque structure by presenting a three-dimensional blood-vessel modelling with the aim of determining mechanical properties due to the effect of lipid core and calcification within a plaque. Numerical simulation has been used to answer how cap thickness and calcium distribution in lipids influence the biomechanical stress on the plaque. Method Modelling atherosclerotic plaque based on structural analysis confirms the rationale for plaque mechanical examination and the feasibility of our simulation model. Meaningful validation of predictions from modelled atherosclerotic plaque model typically requires examination of bona fide atherosclerotic lesions. To analyze a more accurate plaque rupture, fluid-structure interaction is applied to three-dimensional blood-vessel carotid bifurcation modelling. A patient-specific pressure variation is applied onto the plaque to influence its vulnerability. Results Modelling of the human atherosclerotic artery with varying degrees of lipid core elasticity, fibrous cap thickness and calcification gap, which is defined as the distance between the fibrous cap and calcification agglomerate, form the basis of our rupture analysis. Finite element analysis shows that the calcification gap should be conservatively smaller than its threshold to maintain plaque stability. The results add new mechanistic insights and methodologically sound data to investigate plaque rupture mechanics. Conclusion Structural analysis using a three-dimensional calcified model represents a more realistic simulation of late-stage atherosclerotic plaque. We also demonstrate that increases of calcium content that is coupled with a decrease in lipid core volume can stabilize plaque structurally.

A computer-simulation study on the effects of MRI voxel dimensions on carotid plaque lipid-core and fibrous cap segmentation and stress modeling.

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Harm A Nieuwstadt

Full Text Available The benefits of a decreased slice thickness and/or in-plane voxel size in carotid MRI for atherosclerotic plaque component quantification accuracy and biomechanical peak cap stress analysis have not yet been investigated in detail because of practical limitations.In order to provide a methodology that allows such an investigation in detail, numerical simulations of a T1-weighted, contrast-enhanced, 2D MRI sequence were employed. Both the slice thickness (2 mm, 1 mm, and 0.5 mm and the in plane acquired voxel size (0.62x0.62 mm2 and 0.31x0.31 mm2 were varied. This virtual MRI approach was applied to 8 histology-based 3D patient carotid atherosclerotic plaque models.A decreased slice thickness did not result in major improvements in lumen, vessel wall, and lipid-rich necrotic core size measurements. At 0.62x0.62 mm2 in-plane, only a 0.5 mm slice thickness resulted in improved minimum fibrous cap thickness measurements (a 2-3 fold reduction in measurement error and only marginally improved peak cap stress computations. Acquiring voxels of 0.31x0.31 mm2 in-plane, however, led to either similar or significantly larger improvements in plaque component quantification and computed peak cap stress.This study provides evidence that for currently-used 2D carotid MRI protocols, a decreased slice thickness might not be more beneficial for plaque measurement accuracy than a decreased in-plane voxel size. The MRI simulations performed indicate that not a reduced slice thickness (i.e. more isotropic imaging, but the acquisition of anisotropic voxels with a relatively smaller in-plane voxel size could improve carotid plaque quantification and computed peak cap stress accuracy.

Pathology of Human Coronary and Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis and Vascular Calcification in Diabetes Mellitus.

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Yahagi, Kazuyuki; Kolodgie, Frank D; Lutter, Christoph; Mori, Hiroyoshi; Romero, Maria E; Finn, Aloke V; Virmani, Renu

2017-02-01

The continuing increase in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the general population is predicted to result in a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease. Although the mechanisms of diabetes mellitus-associated progression of atherosclerosis are not fully understood, at clinical and pathological levels, there is an appreciation of increased disease burden and higher levels of arterial calcification in these subjects. Plaques within the coronary arteries of patients with diabetes mellitus generally exhibit larger necrotic cores and significantly greater inflammation consisting mainly of macrophages and T lymphocytes relative to patients without diabetes mellitus. Moreover, there is a higher incidence of healed plaque ruptures and positive remodeling in hearts from subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus and type 2 diabetes mellitus, suggesting a more active atherogenic process. Lesion calcification in the coronary, carotid, and other arterial beds is also more extensive. Although the role of coronary artery calcification in identifying cardiovascular disease and predicting its outcome is undeniable, our understanding of how key hormonal and physiological alterations associated with diabetes mellitus such as insulin resistance and hyperglycemia influence the process of vascular calcification continues to grow. Important drivers of atherosclerotic calcification in diabetes mellitus include oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, alterations in mineral metabolism, increased inflammatory cytokine production, and release of osteoprogenitor cells from the marrow into the circulation. Our review will focus on the pathophysiology of type 1 diabetes mellitus- and type 2 diabetes mellitus-associated vascular disease with particular focus on coronary and carotid atherosclerotic calcification. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Tissue Doppler imaging of carotid plaque wall motion: a pilot study

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Naylor A Ross

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies suggest the physical and mechanical properties of vessel walls and plaque may be of clinical value in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular atherosclerotic disease. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the potential clinical application of ultrasound Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI of Arterial Wall Motion (AWM and to quantify simple wall motion indices in normal and diseased carotid arteries. Methods 224 normal and diseased carotid arteries (0–100% stenoses were imaged in 126 patients (age 25–88 years, mean 68 ± 11. Longitudinal sections of the carotid bifurcation were imaged using a Philips HDI5000 scanner and L12-5 probe under optimized TDI settings. Temporal and spatial AWMs were analyzed to evaluate the vessel wall displacements and spatial gradients at peak systole averaged over 5 cardiac cycles. Results AWM data were successfully extracted in 91% of cases. Within the carotid bifurcation/plaque region, the maximum wall dilation at peak systole ranged from -100 to 750 microns, mean 335 ± 138 microns. Maximum wall dilation spatial gradients ranged 0–0.49, mean 0.14 ± 0.08. The AWM parameters showed a wide variation and had poor correlation with stenoses severity. Case studies illustrated a variety of pertinent qualitative and quantitative wall motion features related to the biophysics of arterial disease. Conclusion Our clinical experience, using a challenging but realistic imaging protocol, suggests the use of simple quantitative AWM measures may have limitations due to high variability. Despite this, pertinent features of AWM in normal and diseased arteries demonstrate the potential clinical benefit of the biomechanical information provided by TDI.

Multidetector row CT of the brain and carotid artery: a correlative analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saba, L.; Montisci, R.; Sanfilippo, R.; Mallarini, G.

2009-01-01

Aim: To evaluate the association between types of carotid plaque, the presence of prior ischaemic events detectable with CT, and patient's symptoms. Materials and methods: Between January 2004 and May 2006, 112 patients were evaluated using multidetector row computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) of the carotid arteries and computed tomography (CT) of the brain. Carotid arteries were categorized by evaluating the degree of stenosis according to North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) criteria, the type of plaque, and the presence of plaque ulceration. The brain was assessed via CT for the presence, type, and position of lesions. Chi-square tests, Student's t test, and simple logistic regression analysis were performed and the Cohen kappa test was applied for interobserver variability measurement. Results: The Chi-square test indicated a statistically significant association between the presence of fatty plaques (p = 0.005) and CT-detectable lesions in the brain (p = 0.004). Moreover, the number of patients with CT-detectable brain lesions was greater in patients with >70% stenosis than in those with 70% stenosis and symptoms (p = 0.041), and an inverse association between calcified plaque and symptoms (p = 0.009). Conclusion: MDCTA allows adequate evaluation of the type of plaque. The results of the present study indicate that there is an association between cerebral lesions, symptoms, and fatty plaque in the carotid artery. The degree of stenosis also correlated with cerebral lesions and symptoms. According to the obtained data, the type of carotid plaque should be included among primary parameters in the classification of patients' risk class.

Radioiodine Therapy Does Not Change the Atherosclerotic Burden of the Carotid Arteries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

La Cour, Jeppe Lerche; Andersen, Ulrik Bjørn; Sørensen, Christian Hjort

2016-01-01

of cerebrovascular events has been reported after radioiodine therapy. This study aimed to examine whether atherosclerosis develops early or late after radioiodine therapy of benign thyroid disease. METHOD: Patients treated for benign thyroid disorders (nontoxic goiter, adenoma, and hyperthyroidism) were examined...... effects, there was no difference in CIMT (p = 0.25) or presence of plaques (p = 0.70) between those treated with radioactive iodine and those treated with surgery (9.8 and 5.6 years since treatment, respectively). Furthermore, the level of thyrotropin (TSH) did not influence these atherosclerosis markers....... CONCLUSION: No early changes in CIMT were detected in patients treated with radioactive iodine for benign thyroid disease. No signs of late effects of radioactive iodine on CIMT or plaque presence were found after 10 years of follow-up. The radiation to the carotid arteries by radioactive iodine therapy...

Oral microbiota in patients with atherosclerosis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fåk, Frida; Tremaroli, Valentina; Bergström, Göran

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Recent evidence suggests that the microbiota may be considered as an environmental factor that contributes to the development of atherosclerosis. Periodontal disease has been associated with cardio- and cerebrovascular events, and inflammation in the periodontium is suggested...... to increase the systemic inflammatory level of the host, which may in turn influence plaque composition and rupture. We previously showed that bacteria from the oral cavity and the gut could be found in atherosclerotic plaques. METHODS: To elucidate whether the oral microbiota composition differed between...... patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic atherosclerosis we performed pyrosequencing of the oral microbiota of 92 individuals including patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic atherosclerosis and control individuals without carotid plaques or previous stroke or myocardial infarction. RESULTS...

Osteoprotegerin, pericytes and bone-like vascular calcification are associated with carotid plaque stability.

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Jean-Michel Davaine

Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Vascular calcification, recapitulating bone formation, has a profound impact on plaque stability. The aim of the present study was to determine the influence of bone-like vascular calcification (named osteoid metaplasia = OM and of osteoprotegerin on plaque stability. METHODS: Tissue from carotid endarterectomies were analysed for the presence of calcification and signs of vulnerability according to AHA grading system. Osteoprotegerin (OPG, pericytes and endothelial cells were sought using immuno-histochemistry. Symptoms and preoperative imaging findings (CT-scan, MRI and Doppler-scan were analyzed. Human pericytes were cultured to evaluate their ability to secrete OPG and to influence mineralization in the plaque. RESULTS: Seventy-three carotid plaques (49 asymptomatic and 24 symptomatic were harvested. A significantly higher presence of OM (18.4% vs 0%, p<0.01, OPG (10.2% of ROI vs 3.4% of ROI, p<0.05 and pericytes (19% of ROI vs 3.8% of ROI, p<0.05 were noted in asymptomatic compared to symptomatic plaques. Consistently, circulating OPG levels were higher in the plasma of asymptomatic patients (3.2 ng/mL vs 2.5 ng/mL, p = 0.05. In vitro, human vascular pericytes secreted considerable amounts of OPG and underwent osteoblastic differentiation. Pericytes also inhibited the osteoclastic differentiation of CD14+ cells through their secretion of OPG. CONCLUSIONS: OPG (intraplaque an plasmatic and OM are associated with carotid plaque stability. Pericytes may be involved in the secretion of intraplaque OPG and in the formation of OM.

Endovascular interventions for patients with serious symptoms caused by embolic carotid T occlusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Masaki; Mori, Takahisa; Imai, Keisuke; Izumoto, Hajime

2011-01-01

The efficacy of endovascular interventions based on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for acute ischemic stroke caused by embolic carotid T occlusion was assessed. Endovascular intervention was performed in 10 of 751 consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients admitted to our institution between April 2001 and July 2003. Indications were: presentation within 6 hours of onset of cardioembolic stroke; National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≥10 on admission; absence of extensive signal hyperintenity on diffusion-weighted imaging; and carotid T occlusion on angiography. Localized intra-arterial thrombolysis using urokinase and/or mechanical clot disruption using micro-balloon catheter were performed. Radiographic findings, ΔNIHSS defined as NIHSS on day 7- NIHSS on admission, 3-month modified Rankin scale (mRS), 3-month mortality, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) were evaluated. Partial recanalization was achieved in 5 of 10 patients, but no recanalization was obtained in 5 patients. No significant differences in 3-month mRS (0-2) or symptomatic ICH were identified between these groups. However, the partial recanalization group showed significantly better clinical outcomes (median 3-month mRS 3 vs. 6, p=0.009) and lower mortality rate at 90 days (0% vs. 80%, p=0.047) with significantly greater ΔNIHSS (-8 vs. +6, p=0.009). Endovascular intervention based on MR imaging resulting in partial recanalization may reduce poor outcomes and mortality in patients with embolic carotid T occlusion. Improvement of the outcomes of such patients requires more efficient methods such as clot retrieval therapy. (author)

Targeted folate receptor β fluorescence imaging as a measure of inflammation to estimate vulnerability within human atherosclerotic carotid plaque

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jager, Nynke A.; Westra, Johanna; van Dam, Gooitzen M.; Teteloshvili, Nato; Tio, Rene A.; Breek, Jan-Cees; Slart, Riemer H. J. A.; Boersma, Hendrikus H.; Low, Phillip S.; Bijl, Marc; Zeebregts, Clark J.

UNLABELLED: The probability of atherosclerotic plaque rupture and its thrombotic sequelae are thought to be increased at sites of macrophage accumulation. Folate receptor β (FR-β) is present on activated macrophages but not on quiescent macrophages or other immune cells. By conjugating the ligand

Investigation into drivers of cost of stenting for carotid stenosis.

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Rinaldo, Lorenzo; Brinjikji, Waleed; Cloft, Harry; DeMartino, Randall R; Lanzino, Giuseppe

2017-09-01

We aimed to identify factors associated with cost of carotid artery stenting (CAS). Patient and hospital characteristics affecting cost of admission for CAS were identified using the Vizient national database of hospital-reported outcomes. Patients who underwent CAS for either asymptomatic or symptomatic carotid stenosis were identified using surgical Medicare Severity-Diagnosis Related Groups and appropriate International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and Tenth Revision codes. There were 166 hospitals that reported outcomes from 7369 inpatient admissions for CAS. Each institution reported a mean value for cost related to patient care per admission for CAS; the average cost across all reporting institutions was $12,834.14 (standard error of the mean [SEM], 492.88). Institutions in the lowest 25th percentile with respect to frequency of intensive care unit admission after CAS had lower cost of admission than institutions above the 75th percentile ($10,971.30 [SEM, 460.67] vs $14,992.90 [964.29]; P = .002), without any differences in incidence of stroke during admission (2.2% [SEM, 0.3] vs 2.0% [0.4]; P = .877) or 30-day readmission (1.9% [SEM, 0.4] vs 2.5 [0.6]; P = .329). Admissions for patients with symptomatic stenosis were more expensive than those with asymptomatic stenosis ($20,462.10 [SEM, 819.93] vs $11,285.20 [347.11]; P costs of admission ($14,176.20 [SEM, 597.13] vs $12,287.10 [395.73]; P care unit, symptomatic stenosis, and obesity were associated with increased costs in patients undergoing CAS. These data may aid in identifying opportunities to improve the cost-effectiveness of this procedure. Copyright © 2017 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Serum elastase activity, serum elastase inhibitors, and occurrence of carotid atherosclerotic plaques: the Etude sur le Vieillissement Artériel (EVA) study.

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Zureik, Mahmoud; Robert, Ladislas; Courbon, Dominique; Touboul, Pierre-Jean; Bizbiz, Latifa; Ducimetière, Pierre

2002-06-04

In the last decades, interest has increased in the potential deleterious atherogenic effects of some cellular elastase activities. The results of experimental and clinical investigations were inconsistent. In this report, we assessed the associations of serum elastase activity and serum elastase inhibitors with carotid plaque occurrence during the 4-year follow-up in a population of 859 subjects free of coronary heart disease and stroke (age, 59 to 71 years). Serum elastase activity and serum elastase inhibitors were measured at baseline examination. Carotid B-mode ultrasound examination was performed at baseline and 2 years and 4 years later. The occurrence of carotid plaques in subjects with the lowest serum elastase activity values (quartile 1), in those with the intermediate values (quartiles 2 to 3), and in those with the highest values (quartile 4) was, respectively, 24.6%, 18.9%, and 12.2% (P<0.001 for trend). The multivariate odds ratios of carotid plaque occurrence associated with the three groups (adjusted for major known cardiovascular risk factors) were, respectively, 1.00, 0.67 (CI, 0.44 to 1.02; P<0.06), and 0.40 (CI, 0.23 to 0.70, P<0.001). For serum elastase inhibitors, the occurrence of carotid plaques in quartile 1 (lowest values), quartiles 2 to 3, and quartile 4 (highest values) was, respectively, 11.7%, 18.8%, and 25.2% (P for trend<0.001). The corresponding multivariate adjusted odds ratios were 1.00, 1.98 (CI, 1.19 to 3.31, P<0.01), and 3.18 (CI, 1.80 to 5.60, P<0.001). Low values of serum elastase activity and high values of serum elastase inhibitors were strongly and independently associated with increased 4-year carotid plaque occurrence. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the nature of the associations between elastase parameters and atherosclerosis.

Estudo prospectivo comparativo entre a endarterectomia e a angioplastia com stent e proteção cerebral no tratamento das lesões ateroscleróticas carotídeas: resultados em 30 dias Prospective and comparative study between endarterectomy and stent angioplasty with cerebral protection in carotid atherosclerotic lesions: 30-day results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugênio Carlos de Almeida Tinoco

2006-12-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Analisar comparativamente os resultados, em 30 dias, entre a endarterectomia e a angioplastia com stent auto-expansível e filtro de proteção cerebral, avaliando a incidência de acidente vascular cerebral e óbito, bem como o tempo de permanência hospitalar no tratamento das lesões ateroscleróticas da bifurcação carotídea. MÉTODO: Estudo prospectivo, em que foram tratados 80 pacientes, sintomáticos e assintomáticos, com lesões estenóticas maiores que 60 e 70%, respectivamente, da bifurcação carotídea. Os pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos de 40 pacientes, que foram avaliados quanto a sexo, idade, comorbidades associadas e tabagismo. RESULTADOS: A taxa de acidente vascular cerebral e óbito foi de 5,0% em ambas as técnicas. Ocorreu um caso (2,5% de ataque isquêmico transitório no grupo endovascular e nenhum na endarterectomia. No que se refere ao tempo de internação, o tratamento endovascular apresentou menor tempo em relação à endarterectomia, sendo estatisticamente significativo (P OBJECTIVE: To comparatively analyze the 30-day results between endarterectomy and angioplasty using self-expandable stent and filter protection in the treatment of carotid bifurcation atherosclerotic lesions. The primary endpoint was to analyze stroke and death rate, as well hospitalization time. METHODS: Comparative and prospective study in 80 symptomatic and asymptomatic patients, with carotid bifurcation stenotic lesions greater than 60 and 70%, respectively. The patients were divided into two groups of 40 and assessed according to gender, age, associated comorbid conditions and smoking. RESULTS: The stroke and death rate was 5.0% for both techniques. There was only one case of transient ischemic attack (2.5% in the endovascular group. Regarding hospitalization time, it was significantly lower in favor of the endovascular technique, with statistical significance (P < 0.002. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a 5

Surgical dissection of the internal carotid artery under flow control by proximal vessel clamping reduces embolic infarcts during carotid endarterectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, Kazumichi; Kurosaki, Yoshitaka; Funaki, Takeshi; Kikuchi, Takayuki; Ishii, Akira; Takahashi, Jun C; Takagi, Yasushi; Yamagata, Sen; Miyamoto, Susumu

2014-01-01

To evaluate the efficacy of flow control of the internal carotid artery (ICA) by the clamping of the common carotid artery, external carotid artery, and superior thyroid artery during surgical ICA dissection to reduce ischemic complications after carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Sixty-seven patients (59 men; age, 70.5 ± 6.2 years) who underwent CEA by the same surgeon were retrospectively studied. Both conventional CEA (n = 29) and flow-control CEA (n = 38) were performed with the patient under general anesthesia and with the use of somatosensory-evoked potential and near-infrared spectroscopy monitoring as a guide for selective shunting. The number of new postoperative infarcts was assessed with preoperative and postoperative diffusion-weighted images (DWIs) obtained within 3 days of surgery. In addition to surgical technique, the effects of the following factors on new infarcts also were examined: age, side of ICA stenosis, high-grade stenosis, symptoms, and application of shunting. New postoperative DWI lesions were observed in 7 of 67 patients (10.4%), and none of them was symptomatic. With respect to operative technique, the incidence rate of DWI spots was significantly lower in the flow-control group (2.6%) than in the conventional group (20.7%), odds ratio: 0.069; 95% confidence interval: 0.006-0.779; P = 0.031). On multiple logistic regression analysis, age, side of ICA stenosis, high-grade stenosis, symptoms, and the use of internal shunting did not have significant effects on new postoperative DWI lesions, whereas technique did have an effect. The proximal flow-control technique for CEA helps avoid embolic complications during surgical ICA dissection. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relationship between haemodynamic impairment and collateral blood flow in carotid artery disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hartkamp, Nolan S; Petersen, Esben T; Chappell, Michael A

2018-01-01

Collateral blood flow plays a pivotal role in steno-occlusive internal carotid artery (ICA) disease to prevent irreversible ischaemic damage. Our aim was to investigate the effect of carotid artery disease upon cerebral perfusion and cerebrovascular reactivity and whether haemodynamic impairment...... is influenced at brain tissue level by the existence of primary and/or secondary collateral. Eighty-eight patients with steno-occlusive ICA disease and 29 healthy controls underwent MR examination. The presence of collaterals was determined with time-of-flight, two-dimensional phase contrast MRA and territorial....... In conclusion, both CBF and cerebrovascular reactivity were found to be reduced in symptomatic patients with steno-occlusive ICA disease. The presence of collateral flow is associated with further haemodynamic impairment. Recruitment of secondary collaterals is associated with severe haemodynamic impairment....

Comparison of carotid atherosclerotic plaque characteristics between patients with first-time and recurrent acute ischaemic stroke using B-mode ultrasound.

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Li, Jin; Mi, Donghua; Pu, Yuehua; Zou, Xinying; Pan, Yuesong; Soo, Yannie; Leung, Thomas; Wang, Yilong; Wong, Ka Sing; Liu, Liping

2015-06-23

The differences between initial and recurrent stroke plaques are not defined. Hence, a nested case-control study was conducted to evaluate the association of stroke recurrence with the echogenic characteristics of carotid plaques in patients with ischaemic stroke. One hundred and four patients with 1-year recurrent acute ischaemic stroke were enrolled and compared with 104 control patients (first-time ischaemic stroke) matched for age, gender, stroke severity and treatment allocation. Based on the Mannheim Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Consensus (2004-2006), the number of carotid plaques and echogenicity between the two groups of patients were compared. As compared to patients with first-time stroke, those with recurrent stroke showed significantly higher prevalence of heart disease (13.46 vs 28.85%, P = 0.0066) and presence of intracranial stenosis (55.77 vs 89.90%, P stroke had a significantly higher rate of unstable plaques (80.41%) than patients with first-time stroke (64.21%, P = 0.036). Also, patients with recurrent stroke had a significantly larger number of plaques than patients with first-time stroke (P = 0.0152). Multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis (after adjustment for heart disease and intracranial stenosis) identified an association between 1-year stroke recurrence and the presence of unstable plaques (hazard ratio 3.077; 95% CI: 1.133-8.355). Stroke recurrence is related to advanced atherosclerosis defined by carotid plaque and its characteristics.

Preclinical carotid atherosclerosis in patients with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), type 2 diabetes and classical type 1 diabetes

OpenAIRE

Hern?ndez, Marta; L?pez, Carolina; Real, Jordi; Valls, Joan; Ortega-Martinez de Victoria, Emilio; V?zquez, Federico; Rubinat, Esther; Granado-Casas, Minerva; Alonso, Nuria; Mol?, Teresa; Betriu, Angels; Lecube, Albert; Fern?ndez, Elvira; Leslie, Richard David; Mauricio, D?dac

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND LADA is probably the most prevalent form of autoimmune diabetes. Nevertheless, there are few data about cardiovascular disease in this group of patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of carotid atherosclerotic plaques in patients with LADA as compared with patients with classic type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. METHODS Patients with LADA were matched for age and gender in different proportions to patients with type 2 diabetes, and classic type 1 diabete...

Influence of stent design and use of protection devices on outcome of carotid artery stenting: a pooled analysis of individual patient data.

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Wodarg, Fritz; Turner, Elisabeth L; Dobson, Joanna; Ringleb, Peter A; Mali, Willem P; Fraedrich, Gustav; Chatellier, Gilles; Bequemin, Jean-Pierre; Brown, Martin M; Algra, Ale; Mas, Jean-Louis; Jansen, Olav; Bonati, Leo H

2018-04-19

Carotid artery stenting is an alternative to endarterectomy for the treatment of symptomatic carotid stenosis but was associated with a higher risk of procedural stroke or death in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Technical aspects of treatment may partly explain these results. The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the influence of technical aspects such as stent design or the use of protection devices, as well as clinical variables, on procedural risk. We pooled data of 1557 individual patients receiving stent treatment in three large RCTs comparing stenting versus endarterectomy for symptomatic carotid stenosis. The primary outcome event was any procedural stroke or death occurring within 30 days after stenting. Procedural stroke or death occurred significantly more often with the use of open-cell stents (61/595 patients, 10.3%) than with closed-cell stents (58/962 patients, 6.0%; RR 1.76; 95% CI 1.23 to 2.52; P=0.002). Procedural stroke or death occurred in 76/950 patients (8.0%) treated with protection devices (predominantly distal filters) and in 43/607 (7.1%) treated without protection devices (RR 1.10; 95% CI 0.71 to 1.70; P=0.67). Clinical variables predicting the primary outcome event were age, severity of the qualifying event, history of prior stroke, and level of disability at baseline. The effect of stent design remained similar after adjustment for these variables. In symptomatic carotid stenosis, the use of stents with a closed-cell design is independently associated with a lower risk of procedural stroke or death compared with open-cell stents. Filter-type protection devices do not appear to reduce procedural risk. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Dotted collar placed around carotid artery induces asymmetric neointimal lesion formation in rabbits without intravascular manipulations

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Kivelä Antti

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Neointimal formation in atherosclerosis has been subject for intense research. However, good animal models mimicking asymmetrical lesion formation in human subjects have been difficult to establish. The aim of this study was to develop a model which would lead to the formation of eccentric lesions under macroscopically intact non-denuded endothelium. Methods We have developed a new collar model where we placed two cushions or dots inside the collar. Arterial lesions were characterized using histology and ultrasound methods. Results When this dotted collar was placed around carotid and femoral arteries it produced asymmetrical pressure on adventitia and a mild flow disturbance, and hence a change in shear stress. Our hypothesis was that this simple procedure would reproducibly produce asymmetrical lesions without any intraluminal manipulations. Intima/media ratio increased towards the distal end of the collar with the direction of blood flow under macroscopically intact endothelium. Macrophages preferentially accumulated in areas of the thickest neointima thus resembling early steps in human atherosclerotic plaque formation. Proliferating cells in these lesions and underlying media were scarce at eight weeks time point. Conclusion The improved dotted collar model produces asymmetrical human-like atherosclerotic lesions in rabbits. This model should be useful in studies regarding the pathogenesis and formation of eccentric atherosclerotic lesions.

Inflammation in renal atherosclerotic disease.

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Udani, Suneel M; Dieter, Robert S

2008-07-01

The study of renal atherosclerotic disease has conventionally focused on the diagnosis and management of renal artery stenosis. With the increased understanding of atherosclerosis as a systemic inflammatory process, there has been increased interest in vascular biology at the microvasculature level. While different organ beds share some features, the inflammation and injury in the microvasculature of the kidney has unique elements as well. Understanding of the pathogenesis yields a better understanding of the clinical manifestations of renal atherosclerotic disease, which can be very subtle. Furthermore, identifying the molecular mechanisms responsible for the progression of kidney damage can also direct clinicians and scientists toward targeted therapies. Existing therapies used to treat atherosclerotic disease in other vascular beds may also play a role in the treatment of renal atherosclerotic disease.

Segmentation of the lumen and media-adventitia boundaries of the common carotid artery from 3D ultrasound images

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Ukwatta, E.; Awad, J.; Ward, A. D.; Samarabandu, J.; Krasinski, A.; Parraga, G.; Fenster, A.

2011-03-01

Three-dimensional ultrasound (3D US) vessel wall volume (VWV) measurements provide high measurement sensitivity and reproducibility for the monitoring and assessment of carotid atherosclerosis. In this paper, we describe a semiautomated approach based on the level set method to delineate the media-adventitia and lumen boundaries of the common carotid artery from 3D US images to support the computation of VWV. Due to the presence of plaque and US image artifacts, the carotid arteries are challenging to segment using image information alone. Our segmentation framework combines several image cues with domain knowledge and limited user interaction. Our method was evaluated with respect to manually outlined boundaries on 430 2D US images extracted from 3D US images of 30 patients who have carotid stenosis of 60% or more. The VWV given by our method differed from that given by manual segmentation by 6.7% +/- 5.0%. For the media-adventitia and lumen segmentations, respectively, our method yielded Dice coefficients of 95.2% +/- 1.6%, 94.3% +/- 2.6%, mean absolute distances of 0.3 +/- 0.1 mm, 0.2 +/- 0.1 mm, maximum absolute distances of 0.8 +/- 0.4 mm, 0.6 +/- 0.3 mm, and volume differences of 4.2% +/- 3.1%, 3.4% +/- 2.6%. The realization of a semi-automated segmentation method will accelerate the translation of 3D carotid US to clinical care for the rapid, non-invasive, and economical monitoring of atherosclerotic disease progression and regression during therapy.

Interobserver variability in the evaluation of internal carotid artery stenosis by CT angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrascosa, Patricia; Meli, Francisco; Sampere, Tulio; Capunay, Carlos; Sanchez, Flavio; Carrascosa, Jorge

2001-01-01

Ischemic cerebral vascular events are primarily due to atherosclerotic narrowing of carotid bifurcation. Catheter Angiography (CA) is the best test for determining carotid artery stenosis, but it is invasive and has some risks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate CT Angiography (CTA) as a non-invasive method compared with CA. Different estimate procedures (NASCET, ESCT and area quantification) were done to compare the Sensitivity (S) and Specificity (E) of each one with CA. Afterwards, interobserver variability of the three procedures was evaluated. Thirty-eight internal carotid arteries were studied in 19 patients with transient ischemic attacks. CTA studies were done in a helical CT scanner. The images were evaluated in a workstation by two radiologists, who were blinded to the percentage of stenosis determined by CA. For statistical analysis, the measurement of stenosis percentage was divided in two groups: a) Negative (0-69%) and b) Positive:(70-100%). Kappa analysis (K) was used to determine the agreement of stenosis. Results: Observer 1: Sensitivity (S) NASCET: 94%, ESCT: 77% and area 94% and Specificity (E): 91%, 87,5% and 87,5%. Observer 2: 77%, 77% and 74%. The interobserver K was 0.83, 0792 and 0.78 for NASCET, ESCT and area quantification methods respectively. In conclusion, CTA has high S and E especially in NASCET and area quantification. (author)

Internal Carotid Artery Hypoplasia: Role of Color-Coded Carotid Duplex Sonography.

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Chen, Pei-Ya; Liu, Hung-Yu; Lim, Kun-Eng; Lin, Shinn-Kuang

2015-10-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the role of color-coded carotid duplex sonography for diagnosis of internal carotid artery hypoplasia. We retrospectively reviewed 25,000 color-coded carotid duplex sonograms in our neurosonographic database to establish more diagnostic criteria for internal carotid artery hypoplasia. A definitive diagnosis of internal carotid artery hypoplasia was made in 9 patients. Diagnostic findings on color-coded carotid duplex imaging include a long segmental small-caliber lumen (52% diameter) with markedly decreased flow (13% flow volume) in the affected internal carotid artery relative to the contralateral side but without intraluminal lesions. Indirect findings included markedly increased total flow volume (an increase of 133%) in both vertebral arteries, antegrade ipsilateral ophthalmic arterial flow, and a reduced vessel diameter with increased flow resistance in the ipsilateral common carotid artery. Ten patients with distal internal carotid artery dissection showed a similar color-coded duplex pattern, but the reductions in the internal and common carotid artery diameters and increase in collateral flow from the vertebral artery were less prominent than those in hypoplasia. The ipsilateral ophthalmic arterial flow was retrograde in 40% of patients with distal internal carotid artery dissection. In addition, thin-section axial and sagittal computed tomograms of the skull base could show the small diameter of the carotid canal in internal carotid artery hypoplasia and help distinguish hypoplasia from distal internal carotid artery dissection. Color-coded carotid duplex sonography provides important clues for establishing a diagnosis of internal carotid artery hypoplasia. A hypoplastic carotid canal can be shown by thin-section axial and sagittal skull base computed tomography to confirm the final diagnosis. © 2015 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Predicting carotid artery disease and plaque instability from cell-derived microparticles.

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Wekesa, A L; Cross, K S; O'Donovan, O; Dowdall, J F; O'Brien, O; Doyle, M; Byrne, L; Phelan, J P; Ross, M D; Landers, R; Harrison, M

2014-11-01

Cell-derived microparticles (MPs) are small plasma membrane-derived vesicles shed from circulating blood cells and may act as novel biomarkers of vascular disease. We investigated the potential of circulating MPs to predict (a) carotid plaque instability and (b) the presence of advanced carotid disease. This pilot study recruited carotid disease patients (aged 69.3 ± 1.2 years [mean ± SD], 69% male, 90% symptomatic) undergoing endarterectomy (n = 42) and age- and sex-matched controls (n = 73). Plaques were classified as stable (n = 25) or unstable (n = 16) post surgery using immunohistochemistry. Blood samples were analysed for MP subsets and molecular biomarkers. Odds ratios (OR) are expressed per standard deviation biomarker increase. Endothelial MP (EMP) subsets, but not any vascular, inflammatory, or proteolytic molecular biomarker, were higher (p < .05) in the unstable than the stable plaque patients. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve for CD31(+)41(-) EMP in discriminating an unstable plaque was 0.73 (0.56-0.90, p < .05). CD31(+)41(-) EMP predicted plaque instability (OR = 2.19, 1.08-4.46, p < .05) and remained significant in a multivariable model that included transient ischaemic attack symptom status. Annexin V(+) MP, platelet MP (PMP) subsets, and C-reactive protein were higher (p < .05) in cases than controls. Annexin V(+) MP (OR = 3.15, 1.49-6.68), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (OR = 1.64, 1.03-2.59), and previous smoking history (OR = 3.82, 1.38-10.60) independently (p < .05) predicted the presence of carotid disease in a multivariable model. EMP may have utility in predicting plaque instability in carotid patients and annexin V(+) MPs may predict the presence of advanced carotid disease in aging populations, independent of established biomarkers. Copyright © 2014 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Atheroprotective Properties of Serum IGF-1 in the Carotid and Coronary Territories and Beneficial Role on the Physical Fitness of the Oldest Old.

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Córdova, Claudio; Boullosa, Daniel A; Custódio, Misael R M; Quaglia, Luiz A; Santos, Simone N; Freitas, Wladimir M; Sposito, Andrei C; Nóbrega, Otávio T

2016-10-01

Our aim was to investigate whether physiological levels of soluble insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) associate with coronary and carotid atherosclerotic burden and physical fitness in the oldest old by means of a cross-sectional study including 100 community-dwelling individuals with no previous cardiovascular events. Linear correlation was found between IGF-1 and intima-media thickness, number of carotid plaques, and walking speed. Individuals in the upper IGF-1 tertile had smaller right and left intima-media thickness compared with the intermediate and lower tertiles, along with reduced atherosclerotic plaques. Also, walking speed was greater in the upper IGF-1 tertile. On the other hand, a nonlinear correlation was observed between IGF-1 and coronary calcification scores, with the intermediate IGF-1 tertile associated to the lowest scores of calcification and participants with lower circulating levels of IGF-1 showing higher frequency of high-risk morphology plaques. All in all, our report supports a territory-dependent, atherorefractory phenotype in the oldest old carrying middle and/or higher serum levels of IGF-1. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effects of 6 months of aerobic and resistance exercise training on carotid artery intima media thickness in overweight and obese older women.

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Park, Jinkee; Park, Hyuntea

2017-12-01

We studied the effects of exercise on carotid intima-media thickness, luminal diameter, and flow velocity in overweight and obese older women, and the associations between carotid parameters changes and other variables. A total of 41 overweight and obese older women (aged 65-77 years, fat mass percent ≥ 32%), who were divided into a control group (n = 20) and a supervised combined exercise group (n = 21). The 24-week combined exercise program (aerobic and resistance exercise) consisted of sessions 40-80 min in length 5 days per week under the supervision of an exercise specialist. Body composition, blood pressure, physical function and carotid variables were assessed. The differences in all variables, and the relative changes between baseline and 24 weeks' follow up were evaluated. Carotid intima-media thickness, systolic carotid luminal diameter, peak systolic flow velocity and end diastolic flow velocity showed a significant group × time interaction. No interaction was observed for diastolic luminal diameter. In the exercise group, the change of carotid intima-media thickness was significantly associated with systolic blood pressure, maximal walking speed, 1-mile walking time and maximal oxygen uptake. Also, the change of peak systolic flow velocity was significantly associated with skeletal muscle mass, diastolic blood pressure and maximum walking speed. Combined exercise can effectively improve carotid intima-media thickness in overweight and obese older women. In addition, exercise training increases the systolic carotid luminal diameter and flow velocity in older women. Therefore, regular combined exercise might help prevent atherosclerotic disease by improving the carotid artery. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 2304-2310. © 2017 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Anti-atherosclerotic effects of konjac

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Hidekatsu Yanai

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Definition: The Konjac plant comes from the genus Amorphophallus. Japanese food uses Konjac cake. Konjac contains almost no calories and a great amount of dietary fiber. Here, we reviewed possible anti-atherosclerotic effects of konjac, using the search Pubmed ®. Konjac ingestion is likely beneficially associated with obesity, blood pressure, lipid and glucose metabolism. However, evidence is lacking on the relationship between konjac ingestion and development of atherosclerotic diseases. To more fully understand the anti-atherosclerotic effects of konjac, future studies, preferably with larger numbers of subjects, will be performed.

Carotid artery surgery

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Carotid endarterectomy; CAS surgery; Carotid artery stenosis - surgery; Endarterectomy - carotid artery ... through the catheter around the blocked area during surgery. Your carotid artery is opened. The surgeon removes ...

Association of circulating omentin-1 level with arterial stiffness and carotid plaque in type 2 diabetes

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Yoo Hye

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Adipokines contribute directly to the atherosclerotic process, connecting metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes to cardiovascular disease. Omentin-1 is a recently discovered novel adipokine, so data about the relationship of this adipokine to vascular health in type 2 diabetes is limited. Methods We enrolled 60 people with type 2 diabetes, with or without carotid plaque, and 30 participants with normal glucose tolerance. We measured serum omentin-1, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP levels, and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR, as well as other cardiovascular risk factors. Vascular health was assessed by brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT. Results Serum omentin-1 levels were significantly decreased in type 2 diabetes patients compared to normal glucose controls and was further reduced in type 2 diabetes patients with carotid plaque compared to those without carotid plaque. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that age, systolic blood pressure, history of use of statins, angiotensin receptor blockers or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and serum omentin-1 level were independent factors determining baPWV in people with type 2 diabetes (r2 = 0.637. Furthermore, in multivariate logistic regression analysis, circulating omentin-1 level was an independent decisive factor for the presence of carotid plaque in type 2 diabetes patients, even after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and history of smoking and medication (odds ratio, 0.621; 95% confidence interval, 0.420-0.919; P = 0.017. Conclusions Circulating omentin-1 level was independently correlated with arterial stiffness and carotid plaque in type 2 diabetes, even after adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors and detailed medication history.

Thrombectomy assisted by carotid stenting in acute ischemic stroke management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steglich-Arnholm, Henrik; Holtmannspötter, Markus; Kondziella, Daniel

2015-01-01

.0). Early clinical improvement was detected in 22 (46%) patients. Favorable outcome at 3 months occurred in 32 (68%) patients. Expedited patient management was associated with favorable clinical outcome. Two (4%) patients experienced symptomatic hemorrhage. Eight (17%) patients experienced stent thrombosis....... Four (9%) patients died. Thrombectomy assisted by carotid stenting seems beneficial and reasonably safe with a promising rate of favorable outcome. Nevertheless, adverse events and complications call for additional clinical investigations prior to recommendation as clinical standard. Expeditious...... patient management is central to achieve good clinical outcome....

Serum-Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Concentrations Are Inversely Associated with Atherosclerotic Diseases in Humans.

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Irina Soltau

Full Text Available Atherosclerotic changes of arteries are the leading cause for deaths in cardiovascular disease and greatly impair patient's quality of life. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P is a signaling sphingolipid that regulates potentially pro-as well as anti-atherogenic processes. Here, we investigate whether serum-S1P concentrations are associated with peripheral artery disease (PAD and carotid stenosis (CS.Serum was sampled from blood donors (controls, N = 174 and from atherosclerotic patients (N = 132 who presented to the hospital with either clinically relevant PAD (N = 102 or CS (N = 30. From all subjects, serum-S1P was measured by mass spectrometry and blood parameters were determined by routine laboratory assays. When compared to controls, atherosclerotic patients before invasive treatment to restore blood flow showed significantly lower serum-S1P levels. This difference cannot be explained by risk factors for atherosclerosis (old age, male gender, hypertension, hypercholesteremia, obesity, diabetes or smoking or comorbidities (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney insufficiency or arrhythmia. Receiver operating characteristic curves suggest that S1P has more power to indicate atherosclerosis (PAD and CS than high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C. In 35 patients, serum-S1P was measured again between one and six months after treatment. In this group, serum-S1P concentrations rose after treatment independent of whether patients had PAD or CS, or whether they underwent open or endovascular surgery. Post-treatment S1P levels were highly associated to platelet numbers measured pre-treatment.Our study shows that PAD and CS in humans is associated with decreased serum-S1P concentrations and that S1P may possess higher accuracy to indicate these diseases than HDL-C.

[Carotid endarterectomy. Experiences with shortening of interval between symptom and operation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rathenborg, L.K.; Baekgaard, N.; Jensen, Leif Pandora

2008-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) prevents transient ischemic attack and stroke in patients with symptomatic high-grade carotid stenosis. In 2004 Rothwell et al showed that maximal benefit is gained if CEA is performed less than three weeks after the onset of the symptom. With the aim...... of observing this recommendation, in 2005 the Department of Vascular Surgery, Gentofte Hospital, introduced an accelerated course of examinations, a fast track, prior to CEA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of the course of all patients operated with CEA during the period from June 2003 through...... September 2006. RESULTS: A total of 147 CEAs were performed on 145 patients, 51 before and 96 after the introduction of fast track. The period between the first symptom and CEA was reduced after the introduction of fast track to 31 days. It was easiest to reduce the time up to CEA in our own department...

Plaque hemorrhage in carotid artery disease: Pathogenesis, clinical and biomechanical considerations

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Teng, Zhongzhao; Sadat, Umar; Brown, Adam J.; Gillard, Jonathan H.

2014-01-01

Stroke remains the most prevalent disabling illness today, with internal carotid artery luminal stenosis due to atheroma formation responsible for the majority of ischemic cerebrovascular events. Severity of luminal stenosis continues to dictate both patient risk stratification and the likelihood of surgical intervention. But there is growing evidence to suggest that plaque morphology may help improve pre-existing risk stratification criteria. Plaque components such a fibrous tissue, lipid rich necrotic core and calcium have been well investigated but plaque hemorrhage (PH) has been somewhat overlooked. In this review we discuss the pathogenesis of PH, its role in dictating plaque vulnerability, PH imaging techniques, marterial properties of atherosclerotic tissues, in particular, those obtained based on in vivo measurements and effect of PH in modulating local biomechanics. PMID:24485514

Serum carotenoids reduce progression of early atherosclerosis in the carotid artery wall among Eastern Finnish men.

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Jouni Karppi

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Several previous epidemiologic studies have shown that high blood levels of carotenoids may be protective against early atherosclerosis, but results have been inconsistent. We assessed the association between atherosclerotic progression, measured by intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery wall, and serum levels of carotenoids. METHODS: We studied the effect of carotenoids on progression of early atherosclerosis in a population-based study. The association between concentrations of serum carotenoids, and intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery wall was explored in 840 middle-aged men (aged 46-65 years from Eastern Finland. Ultrasonography of the common carotid arteries were performed at baseline and 7-year follow-up. Serum levels of carotenoids were analyzed at baseline. Changes in mean and maximum intima media thickness of carotid artery wall were related to baseline serum carotenoid levels in covariance analyses adjusted for covariates. RESULTS: In a covariance analysis with adjustment for age, ultrasound sonographer, maximum intima media thickness, examination year, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, smoking, physical activity, serum LDL cholesterol, family history of coronary heart disease, antihypertensive medication and serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein, 7-year change in maximum intima media thickness was inversely associated with lycopene (p = 0.005, α-carotene (p = 0.002 and β-carotene (p = 0.019, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows that high serum concentrations of carotenoids may be protective against early atherosclerosis.

Intravital live cell triggered imaging system reveals monocyte patrolling and macrophage migration in atherosclerotic arteries

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McArdle, Sara; Chodaczek, Grzegorz; Ray, Nilanjan; Ley, Klaus

2015-02-01

Intravital multiphoton imaging of arteries is technically challenging because the artery expands with every heartbeat, causing severe motion artifacts. To study leukocyte activity in atherosclerosis, we developed the intravital live cell triggered imaging system (ILTIS). This system implements cardiac triggered acquisition as well as frame selection and image registration algorithms to produce stable movies of myeloid cell movement in atherosclerotic arteries in live mice. To minimize tissue damage, no mechanical stabilization is used and the artery is allowed to expand freely. ILTIS performs multicolor high frame-rate two-dimensional imaging and full-thickness three-dimensional imaging of beating arteries in live mice. The external carotid artery and its branches (superior thyroid and ascending pharyngeal arteries) were developed as a surgically accessible and reliable model of atherosclerosis. We use ILTIS to demonstrate Cx3cr1GFP monocytes patrolling the lumen of atherosclerotic arteries. Additionally, we developed a new reporter mouse (Apoe-/-Cx3cr1GFP/+Cd11cYFP) to image GFP+ and GFP+YFP+ macrophages "dancing on the spot" and YFP+ macrophages migrating within intimal plaque. ILTIS will be helpful to answer pertinent open questions in the field, including monocyte recruitment and transmigration, macrophage and dendritic cell activity, and motion of other immune cells.

Growth hormone (GH) treatment reverses early atherosclerotic changes in GH-deficient adults.

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Pfeifer, M; Verhovec, R; Zizek, B; Prezelj, J; Poredos, P; Clayton, R N

1999-02-01

Hypopituitary patients have increased mortality from vascular disease, and in these patients, early markers of atherosclerosis [increased carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and reduced distensibility] are more prevalent. As GH replacement can reverse some risk factors of atherosclerosis, the present study examined the effect of GH treatment on morphological and functional changes in the carotid and brachial arteries of GH-deficient (GHD) adults. Eleven GHD hypopituitary men (24-49 yr old) were treated with recombinant human GH (0.018 U/kg BW x day) for 18 months. IMT of the common carotid artery (CCA) and the carotid bifurcation (CB), and flow-mediated endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD) of the brachial artery were measured by B mode ultrasound before and at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months of treatment, and values were compared with those in 12 age-matched control men. Serum concentrations of lipids, lipoprotein(a), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) were also measured. In GHD men before treatment the IMTs of the CCA [mean(SD), 0.67(0.05) mm] and CB [0.75(0.04) mm] were significantly greater (P < 0.001) than those in control men [0.52(0.07) and 0.65(0.07) mm, respectively]. GH treatment normalized the IMT of the CCA by 6 months [0.53(0.04) mm] and that of the CB by 3 months [0.68(0.05) mm]. The IMT of the carotid artery (CCA and CB) was negatively correlated with serum IGF-I (r = -0.53; P < 0.0001). There was a significant improvement in flow-mediated EDD of the brachial artery at 3 months, which was sustained at 6 and 18 months of GH treatment (P < 0.05). GH treatment increased high density lipoprotein cholesterol at 3 and 6 months, but did not reduce total or low density lipoprotein cholesterol and was without effect on lipoprotein(a). There was no correlation between plasma lipids and changes in IMT or EDD of the arteries examined. In conclusion, GH treatment of hypopituitary GHD men reverses early morphological and

Efficacy of a Self-Expandable Porous Stent as the Sole Curative Treatment for Extracranial Carotid Pseudoaneurysms.

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Chen, Peng Roc; Edwards, Nancy J; Sanzgiri, Aditya; Day, Arthur L

2016-04-01

Extracranial carotid pseudoaneurysms are uncommon vascular lesions. Even with conservative management complications can happen, such as delayed cerebral embolization or symptoms due to flow limitation. Although endovascular therapy can be curative, literature demonstrating a preferred technique is scant. Our goal was to evaluate the use of 1 technique only-the deployment of overlapping self-expandable porous stents-to treat a series of extracranial carotid pseudoaneurysms. From 2008 to 2014, 14 consecutive cases of symptomatic extracranial carotid pseudoaneurysms were managed with single or multilayer porous stents at our institution. Each patient underwent a standardized angiographic follow-up at 6 months. Twelve patients also received a follow-up computed tomography angiogram at 12 months, and yearly thereafter (median radiographic follow-up, 38 months). The total clinical follow-up period ranged between 6 and 69 months (median, 46 months). In our series, each of the extracranial carotid pseudoaneurysms appeared to be the result of carotid artery dissection with associated carotid stenosis at the origin of every pseudoaneurysm. Endovascular treatment consisted of 1-3 layers of self-expandable porous stents placed without balloon angioplasty. Immediately after stenting angiographic images were notable for stagnant opacification of the pseudoaneurysm through the stent(s). All pseudoaneurysms were completely obliterated by the 6-month follow-up angiogram and remained so throughout the radiographic follow-up period. Complications were minimal, consisting of 1 patient developing a mild Horner's syndrome after treatment that resolved during clinical follow-up. Extracranial carotid pseudoaneurysms can be successfully obliterated with the use of porous, self-expandable stents. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stenting of the cervical internal carotid artery in acute stroke management: The Karolinska experience.

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Mpotsaris, Anastasios; Kabbasch, Christoph; Borggrefe, Jan; Gontu, Vamsi; Soderman, Michael

2017-04-01

Background Emergency stent placement in the extracranial internal carotid artery in combination with anterior circulation thrombectomy is a routine procedure. Yet, precise indications and clinical safety in this setting remains controversial. Present data for mechanical thrombectomy include few studies with acute stenting of tandem occlusions. We evaluated the feasibility, safety and clinical outcome of this endovascular treatment in a retrospective analysis of all consecutive cases at a comprehensive stroke centre. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients with acute extracranial carotid artery occlusion including acute dissection or high-grade stenosis and concomitant intracranial large-vessel occlusion treated with emergency carotid stenting and intracranial mechanical thrombectomy between November 2007 and May 2015. Results A total of 63 patients with a median age of 67 years (range 33-84 years) were treated. Of these, 33 (52%) patients had concomitant intravenous thrombolysis with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator initially. Median admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was 14 (range 1-29). Median time from stroke onset to recanalization was 408 minutes (range 165-1846 minutes). Procedure time was significantly shorter after intravenous thrombolysis (110 minutes [range 15-202 minutes] vs. 130 minutes [range 60-280 minutes]; p = 0.02). Three (5%) patients experienced post-procedural symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage. In 55/63 (87%) patients, a score of ≥2b on the Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction scale could be achieved. Eight (13%) patients died, five (8%) during the acute phase. A total of 29/63 (46%) patients showed a favourable outcome (modified Rankin Scale score of 0-2) after three months. Conclusions Our single-centre retrospective analysis of emergency stent placement in the extracranial internal carotid artery in combination with anterior circulation thrombectomy demonstrated high

Risk of Inhospital Stroke or Death Is Associated With Age But Not Sex in Patients Treated With Carotid Endarterectomy for Asymptomatic or Symptomatic Stenosis in Routine Practice: Secondary Data Analysis of the Nationwide German Statutory Quality Assurance Database From 2009 to 2014.

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Schmid, Sofie; Tsantilas, Pavlos; Knappich, Christoph; Kallmayer, Michael; König, Thomas; Breitkreuz, Thorben; Zimmermann, Alexander; Kuehnl, Andreas; Eckstein, Hans-Henning

2017-03-13

Guideline recommendations on carotid endarterectomy are based predominantly on randomized, controlled trials, in which women or elderly patients are often under-represented. This study analyzed the association of age and sex with the risk of in-hospital stroke or death following carotid endarterectomy under routine conditions in Germany. Secondary data analysis using the Statutory German Quality Assurance Database on all carotid endarterectomy procedures (n=142 074) performed between 2009 and 2014. Primary outcome was any stroke or death until discharge; secondary outcomes were any in-hospital stroke (alone), and death (alone). Descriptive statistics and multilevel multivariable regression analyses were applied. Patients were predominately male (68%), with mean age 71 years. Carotid stenosis was symptomatic in 40%. Primary outcome occurred in 1.8% of women and 1.9% of men. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that more-advanced age was associated with a higher primary outcome rate (relative risk [RR] per 10-year increase: 1.19; 95% CI, 1.14-1.24). Risk of death (alone) was associated with age (RR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.54-1.84). Age was associated with the risk of stroke (alone; RR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.00-1.11). Sex was not associated with primary outcome rate (1.01; 95% CI, 0.93-1.10), nor did it significantly modify the age effect. This study shows that increasing age, but not sex, is associated with a higher risk of in-hospital stroke or death following carotid endarterectomy under everyday conditions in Germany. Whereas the risk of death (alone) is significantly associated with age, the association between age and the risk of stroke (alone) can be considered of minor importance. © 2017 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

There is no benefit to universal carotid artery duplex screening before a major cardiac surgical procedure.

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Adams, Brian C; Clark, Ross M; Paap, Christina; Goff, James M

2014-01-01

Perioperative stroke is a devastating complication after cardiac surgery. In an attempt to minimize this complication, many cardiac surgeons routinely preoperatively order carotid artery duplex scans to assess for significant carotid stenosis. We hypothesize that the routine screening of preoperative cardiac surgery patients with carotid artery duplex scans detects few patients who would benefit from carotid intervention or that a significant carotid stenosis reliably predicts stroke risk after cardiac surgery. A retrospective review identified 1,499 patients who underwent cardiac surgical procedures between July 1999 and September 2010. Data collected included patient demographics, comorbidities, history of previous stroke, preoperative carotid artery duplex scan results, location of postoperative stroke, and details of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) procedures before, in conjunction with, or after cardiac surgery. Statistical methods included univariate analysis and Fisher's exact test. Twenty-six perioperative strokes were identified (1.7%). In the 21 postoperative stroke patients for whom there is complete carotid artery duplex scan data, 3 patients had a hemodynamically significant lesion (>70%) and 1 patient underwent unilateral carotid CEA for bilateral disease. Postoperative strokes occurred in the anterior cerebral circulation (69.2%), posterior cerebral circulation (15.4%), or both (15.4%). Patient comorbidities, preoperative carotid artery duplex scan screening velocities, or types of cardiac surgical procedure were not predictive for stroke. Thirteen patients (0.86%) underwent CEA before, in conjunction with, or after cardiac surgery. Two of these patients had symptomatic disease, 1 of whom underwent CEA before and the other after his cardiac surgery. Of the 11 asymptomatic patients, 2 underwent CEA before, 3 concurrently, and 6 after cardiac surgery. Left main disease (≥50% stenosis), previous stroke, and peripheral vascular disease were found to be

Learning-based automated segmentation of the carotid artery vessel wall in dual-sequence MRI using subdivision surface fitting.

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Gao, Shan; van 't Klooster, Ronald; Kitslaar, Pieter H; Coolen, Bram F; van den Berg, Alexandra M; Smits, Loek P; Shahzad, Rahil; Shamonin, Denis P; de Koning, Patrick J H; Nederveen, Aart J; van der Geest, Rob J

2017-10-01

The quantification of vessel wall morphology and plaque burden requires vessel segmentation, which is generally performed by manual delineations. The purpose of our work is to develop and evaluate a new 3D model-based approach for carotid artery wall segmentation from dual-sequence MRI. The proposed method segments the lumen and outer wall surfaces including the bifurcation region by fitting a subdivision surface constructed hierarchical-tree model to the image data. In particular, a hybrid segmentation which combines deformable model fitting with boundary classification was applied to extract the lumen surface. The 3D model ensures the correct shape and topology of the carotid artery, while the boundary classification uses combined image information of 3D TOF-MRA and 3D BB-MRI to promote accurate delineation of the lumen boundaries. The proposed algorithm was validated on 25 subjects (48 arteries) including both healthy volunteers and atherosclerotic patients with 30% to 70% carotid stenosis. For both lumen and outer wall border detection, our result shows good agreement between manually and automatically determined contours, with contour-to-contour distance less than 1 pixel as well as Dice overlap greater than 0.87 at all different carotid artery sections. The presented 3D segmentation technique has demonstrated the capability of providing vessel wall delineation for 3D carotid MRI data with high accuracy and limited user interaction. This brings benefits to large-scale patient studies for assessing the effect of pharmacological treatment of atherosclerosis by reducing image analysis time and bias between human observers. © 2017 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Assessment of permeation of lipoproteins in human carotid tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosn, Mohamad G.; Syed, Saba H.; Leba, Michael; Morrisett, Joel D.; Tuchin, Valery V.; Larin, Kirill V.

2010-02-01

Cardiovascular disease is among the leading causes of death in the United States. Specifically, atherosclerosis is an increasingly devastating contributor to the tally and has been found to be a byproduct of arterial permeability irregularities in regards to lipoprotein penetration. To further explore arterial physiology and molecular transport, the imaging technique of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) was employed. With OCT, the permeation of glucose (MW = 180 Da), low density lipoprotein (LDL; MW = 2.1 × 106 Da), and high density lipoprotein (HDL; MW = 2.5 × 105 Da) in human carotid tissue was studied to determine the effect of different molecular characteristics on permeation in atherosclerotic tissues. The permeability rates calculated from the diffusion of the molecular agents into the abnormal carotid tissue samples is compared to those of normal, healthy tissue. The results show that in the abnormal tissue, the permeation of agents correlate to the size constraints. The larger molecules of LDL diffuse the slowest, while the smallest molecules of glucose diffuse the fastest. However, in normal tissue, LDL permeates at a faster rate than the other two agents, implying the existence of a transport mechanism that facilitates the passage of LDL molecules. These results highlight the capability of OCT as a sensitive and specific imaging technique as well as provide significant information to the understanding of atherosclerosis and its effect on tissue properties.

Anti-atherosclerotic effects of tomatoes

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Hidekatsu Yanai

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which causes the red coloring of tomatoes. Several reports have suggested lycopene plays a role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we systematically reviewed the interventional studies using tomatoes or tomato products to understandtheanti-atherosclerotic effects of the tomatoas a functional food. We found that a significantnumber of interventional studies reportedtheanti-atherosclerotic effects of tomatoes, includinganti-obesity effects, hypotensiveeffects, improvement of lipid/glucose metabolismand endothelial function, anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effect, and anti-platelet effect; however, the anti-platelet effect was disagreed uponby some studies. Furthermore, we discoveredcooking methods significantlyaffect anti-atherosclerotic effects of tomatoes.

Mercury accumulation and accelerated progression of carotid atherosclerosis: a population-based prospective 4-year follow-up study in men in eastern Finland.

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Salonen, J T; Seppänen, K; Lakka, T A; Salonen, R; Kaplan, G A

2000-02-01

Basic research and our previous studies have suggested that mercury exposure enhances lipid peroxidation and the risk of myocardial infarction, but there are no studies concerning the association between mercury accumulation and atherosclerosis. We therefore investigated whether high hair mercury content is associated with accelerated progression of carotid atherosclerosis, determined by ultrasonographic assessment of common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), in a prospective study among 1014 men aged 42-60 years. In a linear regression model adjusting for other atherosclerotic risk factors, high hair mercury content was one of the strongest predictors of the 4-year increase in the mean IMT (P2.81 microg/g (fifths) had an IMT increase of 0.105, 0.102, 0.113, 0.107 and 0.140 mm/4 years, respectively (P=0.041 for heterogeneity between groups). The IMT increase was 0.034 mm/4 years (31.9%) greater in the highest fifth than in the other fifths (P<0.05 for the difference). These findings suggest that mercury accumulation in the human body is associated with accelerated progression of carotid atherosclerosis.

Rolling ball sifting algorithm for the augmented visual inspection of carotid bruit auscultation

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Huang, Adam; Lee, Chung-Wei; Liu, Hon-Man

2016-07-01

Carotid bruits are systolic sounds associated with turbulent blood flow through atherosclerotic stenosis in the neck. They are audible intermittent high-frequency (above 200 Hz) sounds mixed with background noise and transmitted low-frequency (below 100 Hz) heart sounds that wax and wane periodically. It is a nontrivial task to extract both bruits and heart sounds with high fidelity for further computer-aided auscultation and diagnosis. In this paper we propose a rolling ball sifting algorithm that is capable to filter signals with a sharper frequency selectivity mechanism in the time domain. By rolling two balls (one above and one below the signal) of a suitable radius, the balls are large enough to roll over bruits and yet small enough to ride on heart sound waveforms. The high-frequency bruits can then be extracted according to a tangibility criterion by using the local extrema touched by the balls. Similarly, the low-frequency heart sounds can be acquired by a larger radius. By visualizing the periodicity information of both the extracted heart sounds and bruits, the proposed visual inspection method can potentially improve carotid bruit diagnosis accuracy.

Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Does Not Increase the Risk of Bleeding After Carotid Endarterectomy: Results of a Prospective Study.

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Illuminati, Giulio; Schneider, Fabrice; Pizzardi, Giulia; Masci, Federica; Calio', Francesco G; Ricco, Jean-Baptiste

2017-04-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk of bleeding and other postoperative complications of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). From January 2005 to December 2015, 188 consecutive patients undergoing CEA and receiving DAPT (aspirin 100 mg + clopidogrel 75 mg) were enrolled in a prospective study. All of them underwent coronary artery stenting with drug-eluting stents during the 6 months preceding CEA. In the entire series, DAPT was continued until the evening before CEA and resumed on the evening of the operation. All patients received intraoperative heparinization (5,000 IU before carotid clamping), which was reversed in 5 patients. In addition, all of them were given 2,000 units of enoxaparin every 12 hr after the operation, beginning 6 hr after completion of the operation, and until discharge. All the patients presented with carotid artery stenosis >70% (North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial [NASCET] criteria), which was symptomatic in 42 patients (transient ischemic attack, n = 32; minor stroke, n = 10) and asymptomatic in 146. The CEA technique was standard, with prosthetic patch closure in 109 cases (58%) and eversion in 79 (42%). The primary endpoints of the study were occurrence of a postoperative cervical hematoma requiring surgical hemostasis and occurrence of cranial nerve injuries. The secondary endpoint was the combined rate of postoperative mortality, stroke, and myocardial ischemia. No postoperative cervical hematoma requiring surgical evacuation occurred in this series. One hypoglossal nerve palsy, regressive within 2 weeks, was observed. Postoperative mortality and neurologic and cardiac morbidity were nil. CEA under DAPT yields results comparable with those obtained in patients receiving a single antiplatelet treatment. No hemorrhagic complications were observed in this prospective series. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Piperlongumine inhibits atherosclerotic plaque formation and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation by suppressing PDGF receptor signaling

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Son, Dong Ju [Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA (United States); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (United States); Kim, Soo Yeon [Division of Life Science, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Han, Seong Su [University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Iowa City, IA (United States); Kim, Chan Woo [Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA (United States); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (United States); Department of Bioinspired Science, Ehwa Womans University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kumar, Sandeep [Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA (United States); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (United States); Park, Byeoung Soo [Nanotoxtech Co., Ansan (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sung Eun [Division of Applied Biology and Chemistry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Yun, Yeo Pyo [College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju (Korea, Republic of); Jo, Hanjoong, E-mail: hjo@emory.edu [Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA (United States); Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (United States); Department of Bioinspired Science, Ehwa Womans University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Young Hyun, E-mail: pyh012@sch.ac.kr [Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Natural Sciences, Soonchunhyang University, Asan (Korea, Republic of)

2012-10-19

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Anti-atherogenic effect of PL was examined using partial carotid ligation model in ApoE KO mice. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer PL prevented atherosclerotic plaque development, VSMCs proliferation, and NF-{kappa}B activation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Piperlongumine reduced vascular smooth muscle cell activation through PDGF-R{beta} and NF-{kappa}B-signaling. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer PL may serve as a new therapeutic molecule for atherosclerosis treatment. -- Abstract: Piperlongumine (piplartine, PL) is an alkaloid found in the long pepper (Piper longum L.) and has well-documented anti-platelet aggregation, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties; however, the role of PL in prevention of atherosclerosis is unknown. We evaluated the anti-atherosclerotic potential of PL in an in vivo murine model of accelerated atherosclerosis and defined its mechanism of action in aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in vitro. Local treatment with PL significantly reduced atherosclerotic plaque formation as well as proliferation and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-{kappa}B) activation in an in vivo setting. PL treatment in VSMCs in vitro showed inhibition of migration and platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB)-induced proliferation to the in vivo findings. We further identified that PL inhibited PDGF-BB-induced PDGF receptor beta activation and suppressed downstream signaling molecules such as phospholipase C{gamma}1, extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 and Akt. Lastly, PL significantly attenuated activation of NF-{kappa}B-a downstream transcriptional regulator in PDGF receptor signaling, in response to PDGF-BB stimulation. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate a novel, therapeutic mechanism by which PL suppresses atherosclerosis plaque formation in vivo.

Safety and effectiveness of the INVATEC MO.MA proximal cerebral protection device during carotid artery stenting: results from the ARMOUR pivotal trial.

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Ansel, Gary M; Hopkins, L Nelson; Jaff, Michael R; Rubino, Paolo; Bacharach, J Michael; Scheinert, Dierk; Myla, Subbarao; Das, Tony; Cremonesi, Alberto

2010-07-01

The multicenter ARMOUR (ProximAl PRotection with the MO.MA Device DUring CaRotid Stenting) trial evaluated the 30-day safety and effectiveness of the MO.MA Proximal Cerebral Protection Device (Invatec, Roncadelle, Italy) utilized to treat high surgical risk patients undergoing carotid artery stenting (CAS). Distal embolic protection devices (EPD) have been traditionally utilized during CAS. The MO.MA device acts as a balloon occlusion "endovascular clamping" system to achieve cerebral protection prior to crossing the carotid stenosis. This prospective registry enrolled 262 subjects, 37 roll-in and 225 pivotal subjects evaluated with intention to treat (ITT) from September 2007 to February 2009. Subjects underwent CAS using the MO.MA device. The primary endpoint, myocardial infarction, stroke, or death through 30 days (30-day major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events [MACCE]) was compared to a performance goal of 13% derived from trials utilizing distal EPD. For the ITT population, the mean age was 74.7 years with 66.7% of the cohort being male. Symptomatic patients comprised 15.1% and 28.9% were octogenarians. Device success was 98.2% and procedural success was 93.2%. The 30-day MACCE rate was 2.7% [95% CI (1.0-5.8%)] with a 30-day major stroke rate of 0.9%. No symptomatic patient suffered a stroke during this trial. The ARMOUR trial demonstrated that the MO.MA(R) Proximal Cerebral Protection Device is safe and effective for high surgical risk patients undergoing CAS. The absence of stroke in symptomatic patients is the lowest rate reported in any independently adjudicated prospective multicenter registry trial to date. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Identification of periodontal pathogens in atherosclerotic vessels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fiehn, Nils-Erik; Larsen, Tove; Christiansen, Natalia

2005-01-01

Epidemiological studies have shown that periodontitis may be associated with presence of atherosclerosis. DNA from periodontal pathogens has been detected in atherosclerotic lesions, but viable oral bacteria have not yet been isolated from atherosclerotic plaques. The purpose of the present study...... was to determine if viable oral bacteria could be isolated from atherosclerotic lesions and if DNA from periodontal pathogens could be detected by use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques....

Lower prevalence of carotid plaque hemorrhage in women, and its mediator effect on sex differences in recurrent cerebrovascular events.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neghal Kandiyil

Full Text Available Women are at lower risk of stroke, and appear to benefit less from carotid endarterectomy (CEA than men. We hypothesised that this is due to more benign carotid disease in women mediating a lower risk of recurrent cerebrovascular events. To test this, we investigated sex differences in the prevalence of MRI detectable plaque hemorrhage (MRI PH as an index of plaque instability, and secondly whether MRI PH mediates sex differences in the rate of cerebrovascular recurrence.Prevalence of PH between sexes was analysed in a single centre pooled cohort of 176 patients with recently symptomatic, significant carotid stenosis (106 severe [≥70%], 70 moderate [50-69%] who underwent prospective carotid MRI scanning for identification of MRI PH. Further, a meta-analysis of published evidence was undertaken. Recurrent events were noted during clinical follow up for survival analysis.Women with symptomatic carotid stenosis (50%≥ were less likely to have plaque hemorrhage (PH than men (46% vs. 70% with an adjusted OR of 0.23 [95% CI 0.10-0.50, P<0.0001] controlling for other known vascular risk factors. This negative association was only significant for the severe stenosis subgroup (adjusted OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.067-0.50 not the moderate degree stenosis. Female sex in this subgroup also predicted a longer time to recurrent cerebral ischemic events (HR 0.38 95% CI 0.15-0.98, P = 0.045. Further addition of MRI PH or smoking abolished the sex effects with only MRI PH exerting a direct effect. Meta-analysis confirmed a protective effect of female sex on development of PH: unadjusted OR for presence of PH = 0.54 (95% CI 0.45-0.67, p<0.00001.MRI PH is significantly less prevalent in women. Women with MRI PH and severe stenosis have a similar risk as men for recurrent cerebrovascular events. MRI PH thus allows overcoming the sex bias in selection for CEA.

Data on consistency among different methods to assess atherosclerotic plaque echogenicity on standard ultrasound and intraplaque neovascularization on contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging in human carotid artery

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Mattia Cattaneo

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Here we provide the correlation among different carotid ultrasound (US variables to assess echogenicity n standard carotid US and to assess intraplaque neovascularization on contrast enhanced US. We recruited 45 consecutive subjects with an asymptomatic≥50% carotid artery stenosis. Carotid plaque echogenicity at standard US was visually graded according to Gray–Weale classification (GW and measured by the greyscale median (GSM, a semi-automated computerized measurement performed by Adobe Photoshop®. On CEUS imaging IPNV was graded according to the visual appearance of contrast within the plaque according to three different methods: CEUS_A (1=absent; 2=present; CEUS_B a three-point scale (increasing IPNV from 1 to 3; CEUS_C a four-point scale (increasing IPNV from 0 to 3. We have also implemented a new simple quantification method derived from region of interest (ROI signal intensity ratio as assessed by QLAB software. Further information is available in “Contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging of intraplaque neovascularization and its correlation to plaque echogenicity in human carotid arteries atherosclerosis (M. Cattaneo, D. Staub, A.P. Porretta, J.M. Gallino, P. Santini, C. Limoni et al., 2016 [1].

Standard duplex criteria overestimate the degree of stenosis after eversion carotid endarterectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Benzing, Travis; Wilhoit, Cameron; Wright, Sharee; McCann, P Aaron; Lessner, Susan; Brothers, Thomas E

2015-06-01

The eversion technique for carotid endarterectomy (eCEA) offers an alternative to longitudinal arteriotomy and patch closure (pCEA) for open carotid revascularization. In some reports, eCEA has been associated with a higher rate of >50% restenosis of the internal carotid when it is defined as peak systolic velocity (PSV) >125 cm/s by duplex imaging. Because the conformation of the carotid bifurcation may differ after eCEA compared with native carotid arteries, it was hypothesized that standard duplex criteria might not accurately reflect the presence of restenosis after eCEA. In a case-control study, the outcomes of all patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy by one surgeon during the last 10 years were analyzed retrospectively, with a primary end point of PSV >125 cm/s. Duplex flow velocities were compared with luminal diameter measurements for any carotid computed tomography arteriography or magnetic resonance angiography study obtained within 2 months of duplex imaging, with the degree of stenosis calculated by the methodology used in the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) and the European Carotid Surgery Trial (ECST) as well as cross-sectional area (CSA) reduction. Simulations were generated and analyzed by computational model simulations of the eCEA and pCEA arteries. Eversion and longitudinal arteriotomy with patch techniques were used in 118 and 177 carotid arteries, respectively. Duplex follow-up was available in 90 eCEA arteries at a median of 16 (range, 2-136) months and in 150 pCEA arteries at a median of 41 (range, 3-115) months postoperatively. PSV >125 cm/s was present at some time during follow-up in 31% of eCEA and pCEA carotid arteries, each, and in the most recent duplex examination in 7% after eCEA and 21% after pCEA (P = .003), with no eCEA and two pCEA arteries occluding completely during follow-up (P = .29). In 19 carotid arteries with PSV >125 cm/s after angle correction (median, 160 cm/s; interquartile range

Carotid Angioplasty In Octogenarians: A Mono-Arm Trial With Clinical And Angiographic Follow Up

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Ehsan Sharifipour

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Octogenarians account for a third of ischemic stroke (IS patients and they have higher morbidity and mortality rate among IS patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pri-procedural and long term clinical and angiographic statement of carotid artery angioplasty (CAA in octogenarians. Methods: In a mono-arm trial 102 patients>80 years old with symptomatic internal carotid artery (ICA stenosis presented by non-disabling IS or TIA underwent the CAA and were evaluated prospectively from January 2010 to July 2014. All patients had standard stroke care during the study follow up. The peri-procedural complications, cerebrovascular accidents, restenosis in target vessel and mortality rate were recorded to evaluate safety and durability of this secondary stroke prevention method in octogenarians. Results: 48 (47.06% males and 54 (52.9% females in a mean period of 24.5±14.1 (6-50 months were followed. For all patients mean age was 83.39 ±2.53 (range, 80-88 years. The success rate of CAA was 100%, whereas the peri-procedural complication rate was 5.8% (access-site local hematoma and bradycardia during CAA both in 2.94%.There was only one patient who had acute ischemic stroke during the procedure. Restenosis occurred in 3.9% after a mean of 21.5 months. The proportion of recurrent cerebrovascular accident was 9.8% while TIAs occurred in 3.9% and stroke in 1% of patients. Also 4.9% of patients experienced coronary artery disease and the proportion of fatal recurrent cerebrovascular accident was 2.9%.  The median patient event-free survival was 20 months. Conclusion: CAA seems to be a safe and durable IS secondary prevention method in octogenarians with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis.

Global optimization for motion estimation with applications to ultrasound videos of carotid artery plaques

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Murillo, Sergio; Pattichis, Marios; Soliz, Peter; Barriga, Simon; Loizou, C. P.; Pattichis, C. S.

2010-03-01

Motion estimation from digital video is an ill-posed problem that requires a regularization approach. Regularization introduces a smoothness constraint that can reduce the resolution of the velocity estimates. The problem is further complicated for ultrasound videos (US), where speckle noise levels can be significant. Motion estimation using optical flow models requires the modification of several parameters to satisfy the optical flow constraint as well as the level of imposed smoothness. Furthermore, except in simulations or mostly unrealistic cases, there is no ground truth to use for validating the velocity estimates. This problem is present in all real video sequences that are used as input to motion estimation algorithms. It is also an open problem in biomedical applications like motion analysis of US of carotid artery (CA) plaques. In this paper, we study the problem of obtaining reliable ultrasound video motion estimates for atherosclerotic plaques for use in clinical diagnosis. A global optimization framework for motion parameter optimization is presented. This framework uses actual carotid artery motions to provide optimal parameter values for a variety of motions and is tested on ten different US videos using two different motion estimation techniques.

PECAM-1 gene polymorphism (rs668 and subclinical markers of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

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Popović D

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM-1 plays an important role in many inflammatory processes, including the development of atherosclerosis. Polymorphism rs668 of the PECAM-1 gene (373C/G is functional, and it was reported to be associated with increased serum levels of PECAM-1. We investigated the association between the rs668 polymorphism of PECAM-1 and subclinical markers of carotid atherosclerosis in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM. Five hundred and ninety-five T2DM subjects and 200 control subjects were enrolled. The carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT and plaque characteristics (presence and structure were assessed ultrasonographically. Biochemical analyses were performed using standard biochemical methods. Geno-typing of the PECAM-1 gene polymorphism (rs668 was performed using KASPar assays. The control examinations were performed 3.8 ± 0.5 years after the initial examination. Higher CIMT was found in patients with T2DM in comparison with subjects without T2DM. Statistically sig-nificantly faster progression of the atherosclerotic markers was shown in subjects with T2DM in comparison with the control group. When adjusted to other risk factors, the rs668 GG genotype was associated with an increased risk of carotid plaques in subjects with T2DM. We concluded that our study demonstrated a minor effect of the rs668 PECAM-1 on markers of carotid atherosclerosis in subjects with T2DM.

Carotid angioplasty with stenting for chronic internal carotid artery occlusion: technical note

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kobayashi, Nozomu; Tanasawa, Toshihiko; Okada, Takeshi; Endo, Otone; Yamamoto, Naohito [Kainan Hospital Aichi Prefectural Welfare Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives, Department of Neurosurgery, Aichi (Japan); Miyachi, Shigeru; Hattori, Kenichi [Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Nagoya (Japan)

2006-11-15

Carotid angioplasty with stenting (CAS) is becoming accepted as an effective and reliable treatment option for severe carotid artery stenosis. However, it is rarely applied for carotid occlusion, especially in its chronic stage. We report our experience of CAS for chronic internal carotid artery occlusion representing compromised cerebral blood flow using various protection methods. A 77-year-old woman, who was already diagnosed with severe left internal carotid artery stenosis, suddenly had right hemiparesis and aphasia. At that time, she was treated conservatively because her neurological status was quite good, in spite of left carotid artery occlusion. Her symptoms improved in the short term, except slight aphasia, but deteriorated again 18 days from the onset, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed new ischemic lesions. CAS was then performed for the occluded carotid artery on the 23rd day from the first onset. Using the proximal protection technique, the occluded lesion was crossed carefully with a microguidewire. Stents were also placed successfully with the distal protection technique. The occluded carotid artery was completely recanalized without any unfavorable events or neurological deterioration. In this patient, CAS was successfully to treat chronic carotid artery occlusion. These procedures and techniques are reviewed and discussed. (orig.)

Carotid angioplasty with stenting for chronic internal carotid artery occlusion: technical note

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Nozomu; Tanasawa, Toshihiko; Okada, Takeshi; Endo, Otone; Yamamoto, Naohito; Miyachi, Shigeru; Hattori, Kenichi

2006-01-01

Carotid angioplasty with stenting (CAS) is becoming accepted as an effective and reliable treatment option for severe carotid artery stenosis. However, it is rarely applied for carotid occlusion, especially in its chronic stage. We report our experience of CAS for chronic internal carotid artery occlusion representing compromised cerebral blood flow using various protection methods. A 77-year-old woman, who was already diagnosed with severe left internal carotid artery stenosis, suddenly had right hemiparesis and aphasia. At that time, she was treated conservatively because her neurological status was quite good, in spite of left carotid artery occlusion. Her symptoms improved in the short term, except slight aphasia, but deteriorated again 18 days from the onset, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed new ischemic lesions. CAS was then performed for the occluded carotid artery on the 23rd day from the first onset. Using the proximal protection technique, the occluded lesion was crossed carefully with a microguidewire. Stents were also placed successfully with the distal protection technique. The occluded carotid artery was completely recanalized without any unfavorable events or neurological deterioration. In this patient, CAS was successfully to treat chronic carotid artery occlusion. These procedures and techniques are reviewed and discussed. (orig.)

Does the new International Diabetes Federation definition of metabolic syndrome improve prediction of coronary artery disease and carotid intima-media thickening?

Science.gov (United States)

Timóteo, Ana; Santos, Rui; Lima, Sandra; Mamede, Andreia; Fernandes, Rita; Ferreira, Rui

2009-02-01

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with increased incidence of diabetes and atherosclerotic complications. The new definition of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) increases the population with this entity, compared to the NCEP ATP III definition. To study the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in patients with and without MS, according to the NCEP ATP III and IDF definitions, and the predictive ability of carotid IMT for CAD. We studied 270 consecutive patients admitted for elective coronary angiography due to suspicion of CAD. All patients underwent ultrasound study of the carotid arteries to measure IMT (the highest value between the right and left common carotid arteries was used in the analysis). Coronary stenosis of > or =70% (or 50% for the left main coronary artery) was considered significant. By the ATP III definition, 14% of the patients had MS, and these patients had a higher prevalence of CAD (87% vs. 63%, p = 0.004), but no significant difference was found for carotid IMT (1.03 +/- 0.36 mm vs. 0.95 +/- 0.35 mm, p=NS). With the IDF definition, 61% of the patients had MS; this group was slightly older and included more women. There were no differences in terms of CAD (68% vs. 63%) or carotid IMT (0.97 +/- 0.34 vs. 0.96 +/- 0.39 mm). On multivariate analysis, the ATP III definition of MS predicts CAD (OR 4.76, 95% CI 1.71-13.25, p = 0.003), but the IDF definition does not (OR 1.29, 95% CI 0.74-2.27, p = 0.37). On ROC curve analysis, an IMT of > or = 0.95 mm predicts CAD (AUC 0.66, p definition increases the population with MS, decreasing the capacity to predict the presence of CAD. In our population, neither the ATP III nor the IDF definition showed differences in terms of carotid IMT. Carotid IMT can predict CAD, but with only modest sensitivity.

A remodelling metric for angular fibre distributions and its application to diseased carotid bifurcations.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Creane, Arthur

2012-07-01

Many soft biological tissues contain collagen fibres, which act as major load bearing constituents. The orientation and the dispersion of these fibres influence the macroscopic mechanical properties of the tissue and are therefore of importance in several areas of research including constitutive model development, tissue engineering and mechanobiology. Qualitative comparisons between these fibre architectures can be made using vector plots of mean orientations and contour plots of fibre dispersion but quantitative comparison cannot be achieved using these methods. We propose a \\'remodelling metric\\' between two angular fibre distributions, which represents the mean rotational effort required to transform one into the other. It is an adaptation of the earth mover\\'s distance, a similarity measure between two histograms\\/signatures used in image analysis, which represents the minimal cost of transforming one distribution into the other by moving distribution mass around. In this paper, its utility is demonstrated by considering the change in fibre architecture during a period of plaque growth in finite element models of the carotid bifurcation. The fibre architecture is predicted using a strain-based remodelling algorithm. We investigate the remodelling metric\\'s potential as a clinical indicator of plaque vulnerability by comparing results between symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid bifurcations. Fibre remodelling was found to occur at regions of plaque burden. As plaque thickness increased, so did the remodelling metric. A measure of the total predicted fibre remodelling during plaque growth, TRM, was found to be higher in the symptomatic group than in the asymptomatic group. Furthermore, a measure of the total fibre remodelling per plaque size, TRM\\/TPB, was found to be significantly higher in the symptomatic vessels. The remodelling metric may prove to be a useful tool in other soft tissues and engineered scaffolds where fibre adaptation is also present.

Outcome of endovascular treatment in symptomatic intracranial vascular stenosis

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Suh, Dae Chul; Kim, Sang Joon; Lee, Duk Hee; Kim, Won; Choi, Choong Gon; Lee, Jeong Hyun; Kwon, Sun Uck; Kim, Jong Sung [Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyun Jeong [Daejeon Catholic Hospital, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2005-03-15

The outcome evaluation for the revascularization of intracranial vascular stenoses has not been fully described due to the highly technical nature of the procedure. We report here on the early and late clinical outcome of angioplasty and/or stenting of symptomatic severe intracranial vascular stenoses at a single institute. Since 1995, we have treated 35 patients with symptomatic intracranial vascular stenosis (more than 70% stenosis, mean stenosis: 78.6% {+-} 6.2%). Angioplasty (n = 19) was performed for the horizontal segment of the middle cerebral artery (M1) (n = 16) and the basilar artery (BA) (n = 1), the intradural vertebral artery (VA) (n = 1), and the cavernous internal carotid artery (ICA) (n = 1). Stenting (n = 16) was performed for the cavernous or petrous ICAs (n = 9), the intradural VA (n = 3), BA (n = 2), and M1 (n = 2) artery. We assessed the angiographic success (defined as residual stenosis < 50%) rate, the periprocedural complications during the 30-day periprocedural period, the symptomatic recurrence and restenosis during a mean 22-month follow-up (FU) period. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of the cumulative even-free rate of the major cerebrovascular events, i.e. death, stroke or restenosis, was also done. Angiographic success was achieved in 97% of our patients (34/35). There were four procedure-related complications (11%) including a death and a minor stroke. During the mean 22-month FU, the asymptomatic restenosis rate was 9% and the symptomatic restenosis rate was 6% in the target lesion and 9% in all the vascular territories. The Kaplan-Meier estimate was 70.6% (95% confidence interval = 46.5-94.7) after 33 month of FU. In addition to a high angiographic success rate and an acceptable periprocedural complication rate, intracranial angioplasty and/or stenting revealed a relatively low symptomatic recurrence rate. Hemorrhage is a rare, but the physician must aware that potentially fatal periprocedural complications can occur.

Clinical implications of internal carotid artery tortuosity, kinking and coiling: a systematic review

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Zenteno M.

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Anatomical variations of the internal carotid artery are diverse. Abnormalities in their geometry and paths are commonly identified by ultrasonography and angiography. The surgical correction of symptomatic CAs is better in preventing stroke compared with best medical therapy, as well as it completely eliminates the symptoms in patients with nonhemispheric symptoms. The ICA anomalies may be dangerous and represent a risk factor for massive bleeding. Suture ligatures can penetrate and occlude torn vessels, scalpels or biting instruments can lacerate vessels, and indirectly conducted electric cauterization can burn the soft of bony tissues

Ultrasound analysis of gray-scale median value of carotid plaques is a useful reference index for cerebro-cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes.

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Ariyoshi, Kyoko; Okuya, Shigeru; Kunitsugu, Ichiro; Matsunaga, Kimie; Nagao, Yuko; Nomiyama, Ryuta; Takeda, Komei; Tanizawa, Yukio

2015-01-01

Measurements of plaque echogenicity, the gray-scale median (GSM), were shown to correlate inversely with risk factors for cerebro-cardiovascular disease (CVD). The eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/arachidonic acid (AA) ratio is a potential predictor of CVD risk. In the present study, we assessed the usefulness of carotid plaque GSM values and EPA/AA ratios in atherosclerotic diabetics. A total of 84 type 2 diabetics with carotid artery plaques were enrolled. On admission, platelet aggregation and lipid profiles, including EPA and AA, were examined. Using ultrasound, mean intima media thickness and plaque score were measured in carotid arteries. Plaque echogenicity was evaluated using computer-assisted quantification of GSM. The patients were then further observed for approximately 3 years. Gray-scale median was found to be a good marker of CVD events. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, GSM <32 and plaque score ≥5 were significantly associated with past history and onset of CVD during the follow-up period, the odds ratios being 7.730 (P = 0.014) and 4.601 (P = 0.046), respectively. EPA/AA showed a significant correlation with GSM (P = 0.012) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.039), and an inverse correlation with platelet aggregation (P = 0.046) and triglyceride (P = 0.020). Although most patients with CVD had both low GSM and low EPA/AA values, an association of EPA/AA with CVD events could not be statistically confirmed. The present results suggest the GSM value to be useful as a reference index for CVD events in high-risk atherosclerotic diabetics. Associations of the EPA/AA ratio with known CVD risk factors warrant a larger and more extensive study to show the usefulness of this parameter.

Progranulin expression in advanced human atherosclerotic plaque.

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Kojima, Yoji; Ono, Koh; Inoue, Katsumi; Takagi, Yasushi; Kikuta, Ken-ichiro; Nishimura, Masaki; Yoshida, Yoshinori; Nakashima, Yasuhiro; Matsumae, Hironobu; Furukawa, Yutaka; Mikuni, Nobuhiro; Nobuyoshi, Masakiyo; Kimura, Takeshi; Kita, Toru; Tanaka, Makoto

2009-09-01

Progranulin (PGRN) is a unique growth factor that plays an important role in cutaneous wound healing. It has an anti-inflammatory effect and promotes cell proliferation. However, when it is degraded to granulin peptides (GRNs) by neutrophil proteases, a pro-inflammatory reaction occurs. Since injury, inflammation and repair are common features in the progression of atherosclerosis, it is conceivable that PGRN plays a role in atherogenesis. Immunohistochemical analysis of human carotid endoatherectomy specimens indicated that vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs) in the intima expressed PGRN. Some macrophages in the plaque also expressed PGRN. We assessed the effect of PGRN on a human monocytic leukemia cell line (THP-1) and human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs). PGRN alone had no effect on HASMC or THP-1 proliferation or migration. However, when THP-1 cells were stimulated with MCP-1, the number of migrated cells decreased in a PGRN-dose-dependent manner. TNF-alpha-induced HASMC migration was enhanced only at 10nM of PGRN. Interleukin-8 (IL-8) secretion from HASMCs was reduced by forced expression of PGRN and increased by RNAi-mediated knockdown of PGRN. While exogenous treatment with recombinant PGRN decreased IL-8 secretion, degraded recombinant GRNs increased IL-8 secretion from HASMCs. The expression of PGRN mainly reduces inflammation and its degradation into GRNs enhances inflammation in atherosclerotic plaque and may contribute to the progression of atherosclerosis.

Local intra-arterial thrombolysis in the carotid territory: does recanalization depend on the thromboembolus type?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urbach, H.; Wilhelm, K.; Flacke, S.; Schild, H.H.; Hartmann, A.; Pohl, C.; Klockgether, T.; Omran, H.

2002-01-01

Little is known about whether recanalization of carotid territory occlusions by local intra-arterial thrombolysis (LIT) depends on the type of the occluding thromboembolus. We retrospectively analysed the records of 62 patients with thromboembolic occlusions of the intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) bifurcation or the middle cerebral artery who were undergoing LIT with urokinase within 6 h of symptom onset. We determined the influence of thromboembolus type (according to the TOAST criteria), thromboembolus location, leptomeningeal collaterals, time interval from onset of symptoms to onset of thrombolysis, and patient's age on recanalization. The thromboembolus type was atherosclerotic in six patients, cardioembolic in 29, of other determined etiology in four, and of undetermined etiology in 23 patients. Thirty-three (53%) thromboembolic occlusions were recanalized. The thromboembolus location but not the TOAST stroke type nor other parameters affected recanalization. In the TOAST group of patients with cardioembolic occlusions recanalization occurred significantly less frequently when transoesophageal echocardiography showed cardiac thrombus. The present study underlines the thromboembolus location as being the most important parameter affecting recanalization. The fact that thromboembolic occlusions originating from cardiac thrombi had a lower likelihood of being resolved by thrombolysis indicates the thromboembolus type as another parameter affecting recanalization. (orig.)

Local intra-arterial thrombolysis in the carotid territory: does recanalization depend on the thromboembolus type?

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Urbach, H; Wilhelm, K; Flacke, S; Schild, H H [Department of Radiology/Neuroradiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund Freud Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn (Germany); Hartmann, A; Pohl, C; Klockgether, T [Department of Neurology, University of Bonn, Sigmund Freud Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn (Germany); Omran, H [Department of Cardiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund Freud Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn (Germany)

2002-08-01

Little is known about whether recanalization of carotid territory occlusions by local intra-arterial thrombolysis (LIT) depends on the type of the occluding thromboembolus. We retrospectively analysed the records of 62 patients with thromboembolic occlusions of the intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) bifurcation or the middle cerebral artery who were undergoing LIT with urokinase within 6 h of symptom onset. We determined the influence of thromboembolus type (according to the TOAST criteria), thromboembolus location, leptomeningeal collaterals, time interval from onset of symptoms to onset of thrombolysis, and patient's age on recanalization. The thromboembolus type was atherosclerotic in six patients, cardioembolic in 29, of other determined etiology in four, and of undetermined etiology in 23 patients. Thirty-three (53%) thromboembolic occlusions were recanalized. The thromboembolus location but not the TOAST stroke type nor other parameters affected recanalization. In the TOAST group of patients with cardioembolic occlusions recanalization occurred significantly less frequently when transoesophageal echocardiography showed cardiac thrombus. The present study underlines the thromboembolus location as being the most important parameter affecting recanalization. The fact that thromboembolic occlusions originating from cardiac thrombi had a lower likelihood of being resolved by thrombolysis indicates the thromboembolus type as another parameter affecting recanalization. (orig.)

Gene expression levels of matrix metalloproteinases in human atherosclerotic plaques and evaluation of radiolabeled inhibitors as imaging agents for plaque vulnerability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Müller, Adrienne; Krämer, Stefanie D.; Meletta, Romana; Beck, Katharina; Selivanova, Svetlana V.; Rancic, Zoran; Kaufmann, Philipp A.; Vos, Bernhard; Meding, Jörg; Stellfeld, Timo; Heinrich, Tobias K.; Bauser, Marcus; Hütter, Joachim; Dinkelborg, Ludger M.; Schibli, Roger; Ametamey, Simon M.

2014-01-01

Introduction: Atherosclerotic plaque rupture is the primary cause for myocardial infarction and stroke. During plaque progression macrophages and mast cells secrete matrix-degrading proteolytic enzymes, such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). We studied levels of MMPs and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-3 (TIMP-3) in relation to the characteristics of carotid plaques. We evaluated in vitro two radiolabeled probes targeting active MMPs towards non-invasive imaging of rupture-prone plaques. Methods: Human carotid plaques obtained from endarterectomy were classified into stable and vulnerable by visual and histological analysis. MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-8, MMP-9, MMP-10, MMP-12, MMP-14, TIMP-3, and CD68 levels were investigated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Immunohistochemistry was used to localize MMP-2 and MMP-9 with respect to CD68-expressing macrophages. Western blotting was applied to detect their active forms. A fluorine-18-labeled MMP-2/MMP-9 inhibitor and a tritiated selective MMP-9 inhibitor were evaluated by in vitro autoradiography as potential lead structures for non-invasive imaging. Results: Gene expression levels of all MMPs and CD68 were elevated in plaques. MMP-1, MMP-9, MMP-12 and MMP-14 were significantly higher in vulnerable than stable plaques. TIMP-3 expression was highest in stable and low in vulnerable plaques. Immunohistochemistry revealed intensive staining of MMP-9 in vulnerable plaques. Western blotting confirmed presence of the active form in plaque lysates. In vitro autoradiography showed binding of both inhibitors to stable and vulnerable plaques. Conclusions: MMPs differed in their expression patterns among plaque phenotypes, providing possible imaging targets. The two tested MMP-2/MMP-9 and MMP-9 inhibitors may be useful to detect atherosclerotic plaques, but not the vulnerable lesions selectively

Childhood family psychosocial environment and carotid intima media thickness: the CARDIA study.

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Loucks, Eric B; Taylor, Shelley E; Polak, Joseph F; Wilhelm, Aude; Kalra, Preety; Matthews, Karen A

2014-03-01

Little is known about whether the childhood family psychosocial environment (characterized by cold, unaffectionate interactions, conflict, aggression, neglect and/or low nurturance) affects coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. Objectives were to evaluate associations of childhood family psychosocial environment with carotid intima media thickness (IMT), a subclinical measure of atherosclerosis. The study population included 2659 CARDIA study participants, aged 37-52 years. Childhood family psychosocial environment was measured using a risky family questionnaire via self-report. Carotid IMT was calculated using the average of 20 measurements of mean common carotid, bulb and internal carotid IMT, assessed using high-resolution B-mode ultrasound images. Utilizing linear regression analyses adjusted for age, a 1-unit (range 0-21) increase in risky family score was associated with 0.0036 (95% CI: 0.0006,0.0066 mm) and 0.0020 (95% CI: 0.0002,0.0038) mm increase in mean IMT in white males and females, respectively. Formal mediation analyses and covariate adjustments suggested childhood socioeconomic position and smoking may be important mechanisms in white males and females, as well as education and depressive symptomatology in white males. No associations were found in black participants. Formal statistical tests for interaction between risky family score and sex, and between risky family score and race/ethnicity, demonstrated borderline evidence of interactions for both sex (p = 0.12) and race/ethnicity (p = 0.14) with risky family score for associations with mean IMT. In conclusion, childhood family psychosocial environment was positively associated with IMT in white participants, with little evidence of association in black participants. Mechanisms in white participants may include potential negative impacts of socioeconomic constraints on parenting quality, potentially influencing offspring's cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. smoking), socioeconomic position (e

Prevalence of stenoses and occlusions of brain-supplying arteries in young stroke patients.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

von Sarnowski, Bettina

2013-03-06

OBJECTIVE: Atherosclerosis is believed to be a minor cause of TIA and stroke in younger and middle-aged patients. However, data from large cohorts are limited. This study investigates the prevalence of extracranial and intracranial atherosclerosis in stroke and TIA patients aged 18-55 years in the multinational sifap1 study. METHODS: From the sifap1 cohort (n = 5,023), we analyzed a subset of patients with complete data from carotid ultrasound studies. Patients with arterial dissections, vasculitis, and mobile thrombi were excluded. Among the remaining 2,187 patients (men: n = 1,319; 18-44 years: n = 744), intracranial arteries were additionally examined with ultrasonography in 1,612 patients (73.7%). Patients were stratified by sex and age groups (younger: 18-44 years; middle-aged: 45-55 years). RESULTS: In patients with ischemic stroke, the overall prevalence of carotid artery stenoses and occlusions was 8.9% (younger: 4.9%; middle-aged: 11.0%), of which 81% were symptomatic. Nonstenotic carotid plaques were more common in men than in women (15.8% vs 7.7%; p < 0.001), and in middle-aged than in younger patients (17.0% vs 4.9%; p < 0.001). Supratentorial intracranial artery stenoses and occlusions amounted to 11.8%. Supratentorial stenoses occurred more frequently in middle-aged patients (13.0% vs 7.8%; p < 0.001), whereas occlusions were equally common (both 3.2%; not significant). CONCLUSIONS: We observed a substantial proportion of atherosclerotic carotid artery stenoses and occlusions in younger stroke patients. Intracranial stenoses and occlusions were even more prevalent than extracranial carotid artery disease. Together with nonstenotic plaques, one-fifth of patients (21.2%) had symptomatic or asymptomatic large-artery atherosclerosis, which should encourage future stroke prevention campaigns to target risk factor modification in young people.

Intracranial carotid anastomosis and partial aplasia of an internal carotid artery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huber, G.

1980-01-01

A rare arterial anastomosis between the right and left interal carotid arteries at the base at the skull, with aplasia of the cervical part of the left internal carotid artery is reported. The case is unusual because, in addition to the vascular anomaly of the carotid artery, there is an aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery and bilateral renal cysts. The condition is a complex malformation syndrome caused by defective regression of the third branchial artery. Because of the characteristic angiographic aspects such a case should be called transverse carotid anastomosis. (orig.)

Intracranial carotid anastomosis and partial aplasia of an internal carotid artery

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Huber, G.

1980-12-01

A rare arterial anastomosis between the right and left internal carotid arteries at the base at the skull, with aplasia of the cervical part of the left internal carotid artery is reported. The case is unusual because, in addition to the vascular anomaly of the carotid artery, there is an aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery and bilateral renal cysts. The condition is a complex malformation syndrome caused by defective regression of the third branchial artery. Because of the characteristic angiographic aspects such a case should be called transverse carotid anastomosis.

Collateral Flow and White Matter Disease in Patients with Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion.

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Ishikawa, Mami; Sugawara, Hitoshi; Nagai, Mutsumi; Kusaka, Gen; Tanaka, Yuichi; Naritaka, Heiji

2017-01-01

When an internal carotid artery (ICA) occludes, a patient may develop cerebral infarction (CI). We investigated whether CI caused by ICA occlusion (ICAO) is associated with collateral flow through the anterior and posterior communicating arteries (ACoA and PCoA). In 100 patients with ICAO, we investigated CI and white matter disease by performing an MRI and the anatomy of the ACoA and PCoA were investigated by performing magnetic resonance angiography. All patients were divided into the symptomatic CI group or the no-CI group. The collateral flow pathway was estimated by the anterior cerebral artery (ACA)-PCoA score and the collateral flow volume after ICAO was estimated by the middle cerebral artery (MCA) flow score, based on how well the MCA was visualized. Of 100 patients with ICAO, the symptomatic CI group included 36 patients. ACA-PCoA score and white matter disease grades were significantly higher in the CI group (indicating poor collateral flow). More than 80% of patients with an ACA-PCoA score of 4 (poor collateral) experienced symptomatic CI. Thirty-one symptomatic CI patients (86%) had an MCA flow score of 1 or 2 (decreased MCA flow). The ACA-PCoA score and white matter disease grade may suggest an increased risk of CI following ICAO. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The ARTICO study: identification of patients at high risk of vascular recurrence after a first non-cardioembolic stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Serena, Joaquín; Segura, Tomás; Roquer, Jaume; García-Gil, María; Castillo, José

2015-03-11

About 20% of patients with a first ischaemic stroke will experience a new vascular event within the first year. The atherosclerotic burden, an indicator of the extension of atherosclerosis in a patient, has been associated with the risk of new cardiovascular events in the general population. However, no predictive models reliably identify groups at a high risk of recurrence. The ARTICO study prospectively analysed the predictive value for the risk of recurrence of specific atherosclerotic markers. The multicentre ARTICO study included 620 consecutive independent patients older than 60 years suffering from a first non-cardioembolic stroke. We analysed classical stroke risk factors; duplex study of supraaortic trunk including intima-media thickness (IMT) measurement; quantification of internal carotid (ICA) stenosis; number, morphology and surface characteristics of carotid plaques; ankle brachial index (ABI); and the presence of microalbuminuria. Patients were followed up at 6 and 12 months after inclusion. The primary end-point was death or major cardiovascular events. Any vascular event or death at 12 months occurred in 78 (13.8%) patients. In 40 (7.1%) of these the vascular event was a stroke recurrence. Weight, history of diabetes mellitus, history of symptomatic PAD, ABI 50%) were associated with a higher risk of vascular events on follow-up in the bivariate analysis. In the final Cox regression analysis, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, history of diabetes mellitus, symptomatic PAD (HR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.10-6.95; p=0.03), and particularly patients with both ICA stenosis >50% and PAD (HR 4.52; 95% CI, 2.14-9.53; p50% nor isolated abnormal ABI remained associated with an increased risk of recurrence in comparison with the whole population. Symptomatic PAD identifies a high risk group of vascular recurrence after a first non-cardioembolic stroke. The associated increased risk was particularly high in patients with both ICA stenosis and either

Anti-Atherosclerotic Effects of a Phytoestrogen-Rich Herbal Preparation in Postmenopausal Women

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Veronika A. Myasoedova

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The risk of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis progression is significantly increased after menopause, probably due to the decrease of estrogen levels. The use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT for prevention of cardiovascular disease in older postmenopausal failed to meet expectations. Phytoestrogens may induce some improvements in climacteric symptoms, but their effect on the progression of atherosclerosis remains unclear. The reduction of cholesterol accumulation at the cellular level should lead to inhibition of the atherosclerotic process in the arterial wall. The inhibition of intracellular lipid deposition with isoflavonoids was suggested as the effective way for the prevention of plaque formation in the arterial wall. The aim of this double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study was to investigate the effect of an isoflavonoid-rich herbal preparation on atherosclerosis progression in postmenopausal women free of overt cardiovascular disease. One hundred fifty-seven healthy postmenopausal women (age 65 ± 6 were randomized to a 500 mg isoflavonoid-rich herbal preparation containing tannins from grape seeds, green tea leaves, hop cone powder, and garlic powder, or placebo. Conventional cardiovascular risk factors and intima-media thickness of common carotid arteries (cIMT were evaluated at the baseline and after 12 months of treatment. After 12-months follow-up, total cholesterol decreased by 6.3% in isoflavonoid-rich herbal preparation recipients (p = 0.011 and by 5.2% in placebo recipients (p = 0.020; low density lipoprotein (LDL cholesterol decreased by 7.6% in isoflavonoid-rich herbal preparation recipients (p = 0.040 and by 5.2% in placebo recipients (non-significant, NS; high density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol decreased by 3.4% in isoflavonoid-rich herbal preparation recipients (NS and by 4.5% in placebo recipients (p = 0.038; triglycerides decreased by 6.0% in isoflavonoid-rich herbal preparation recipients (NS and by

Bilateral segmental regression of the carotid and vertebral arteries with rete compensation in a Western patient

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Mahadevan, J.; Batista, L.; Alvarez, H.; Lasjaunias, P. [Service de Neuroradiologie Diagnostique et Therapeutique, Hopital de Bicetre, 94275 Le Kremlin Bicetre, 94275, Le Kremlin Bicetre (France); Bravo-Castro, E. [Instituto De Neurocirugia Asenjo, c/Jose Manuel Infante, Santiago (Chile)

2004-06-01

We report a case of symptomatic symmetrical, bilateral absence of the cavernous internal carotid (ICA) and transdural vertebral artery (VA) segments with formation of a rete mirabile. There have been similar reports in Asian patients; ours is the first in the Western population. A 29- year-old woman presented with recurrent temporary blindness and an episode of minor subarachnoid haemorrhage. Angiography demonstrated absence of the C5 and C6 segments of the ICA and the C1/2 segments of the VA bilaterally, with typical carotid rete mirabile formation to reconstitute the distal flow. Comparative anatomy and embryology show retia in several species and point to their secondary origin. The anomalies of the ICA cannot be called agenesis but rather absence since they are likely to result from perinatal disappearance of the artery rather its failure to develop. (orig.)

Internal carotid artery dissection in a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type IV: diagnosis and management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michel Nasser

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS type IV, also known as vascular EDS, is an inherited connective tissue disorder with an estimated prevalence of 1/100,000 to 1/250,000. In EDS type IV, vascular complications may affect all anatomical areas, with a preference for large- and medium-sized arteries. Dissections of the vertebral and carotid arteries in their extra- and intra-cranial segments are typical. The authors report the case of a patient with EDS type IV for whom the diagnosis was established based on clinical signs and who developed internal carotid artery dissection at the age of 44 years. In the absence of a specific treatment for EDS type IV, medical interventions should focus on symptomatic relief, prophylactic measures, and genetic counseling. Invasive imaging techniques are contraindicated, and a conservative approach to vascular complications is usually recommended.

Comparison of I-123 IMP cerebral uptake and MR spectroscopy following experimental carotid occlusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holman, B.L.; Jolesz, F.A.; Polak, J.F.; Kronauge, J.F.; Adams, D.F.

1985-01-01

Both I-123 IMP scintigraphy and MRI have been suggested as sensitive detectors of changes shortly after acute cerebral infarction. We compared the uptake of N-isopropyl I-123 p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) and MR spectroscopy of the brain after internal carotid artery ligation. Thirteen gerbils were lightly anesthetized with ether. After neck dissection, an internal carotid artery was occluded. After 2.8 hours, 100 muCi I-123 IMP was injected intravenously into the 13 experimental animals plus three controls. Seven gerbils remained asymptomatic while six developed hemiparesis. At 3 hours after ligation, the animals were killed. The brains were bisected and T1 and T2 relaxation times were determined for the right and left hemispheres by MR spectroscopy immediately after dissection. I-123 IMP uptake was then determined in the samples. Interhemispheric differences in uptake for I-123 IMP were 0.1 +/- 1.7% (SEM) in the control, 33.5 +/- 10% in the asymptomatic and 54.6 +/- 9.7% in the symptomatic animals. Significant differences were seen with I-123 IMP in 6/7 asymptomatic and 6/6 symptomatic animals. In conclusion, I-123 is more sensitive than T1 or T2 relaxation times for the detection of cerebral perfusion abnormalities. Prolongation in T1 and T2 relaxation times correlates closely with increased brain tissue water content and the development of symptoms, indicators of structural brain damage and probable infarction

Decreased expression of liver X receptor-α in macrophages infected with Chlamydia pneumoniae in human atherosclerotic arteries in situ.

Science.gov (United States)

Bobryshev, Yuri V; Orekhov, Alexander N; Killingsworth, Murray C; Lu, Jinhua

2011-01-01

In in vitro experiments, Chlamydia pneumoniae has been shown to infect macrophages and to accelerate foam cell formation. It has been hypothesized that the C. pneumoniae infection affects foam cell formation by suppressing the expression of liver X receptors (LXR), but whether such an event occurs in human atherosclerosis is not known. In this study we examined carotid artery segments, obtained by endarterectomy, in which the presence of C. pneumoniae was confirmed by both polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. The expression of LXR-α in macrophages infected with C. pneumoniae and macrophages that were not infected was compared using a quantitative immunohistochemical analysis. The analysis revealed a 2.2-fold reduction in the expression of LXR-α in C. pneumoniae-infected cells around the lipid cores in atherosclerotic plaques. In the cytoplasm of laser-capture microdissected cells that were immunopositive for C. pneumoniae, electron microscopy demonstrated the presence of structures with the appearance of elementary, reticulate and aberrant bodies of C. pneumoniae. We conclude that LXR-α expression is reduced in C. pneumoniae-infected macrophages in human atherosclerotic lesions which supports the hypothesis that C. pneumoniae infection might suppress LXR expression in macrophages transforming into foam cells. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Restenosis after carotid artery stenting and endarterectomy: a secondary analysis of CREST, a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Lal, Brajesh K; Beach, Kirk W; Roubin, Gary S; Lutsep, Helmi L; Moore, Wesley S; Malas, Mahmoud B; Chiu, David; Gonzales, Nicole R; Burke, J Lee; Rinaldi, Michael; Elmore, James R; Weaver, Fred A; Narins, Craig R; Foster, Malcolm; Hodgson, Kim J; Shepard, Alexander D; Meschia, James F; Bergelin, Robert O; Voeks, Jenifer H; Howard, George; Brott, Thomas G

2012-09-01

In the Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy versus Stenting Trial (CREST), the composite primary endpoint of stroke, myocardial infarction, or death during the periprocedural period or ipsilateral stroke thereafter did not differ between carotid artery stenting and carotid endarterectomy for symptomatic or asymptomatic carotid stenosis. A secondary aim of this randomised trial was to compare the composite endpoint of restenosis or occlusion. Patients with stenosis of the carotid artery who were asymptomatic or had had a transient ischaemic attack, amaurosis fugax, or a minor stroke were eligible for CREST and were enrolled at 117 clinical centres in the USA and Canada between Dec 21, 2000, and July 18, 2008. In this secondary analysis, the main endpoint was a composite of restenosis or occlusion at 2 years. Restenosis and occlusion were assessed by duplex ultrasonography at 1, 6, 12, 24, and 48 months and were defined as a reduction in diameter of the target artery of at least 70%, diagnosed by a peak systolic velocity of at least 3·0 m/s. Studies were done in CREST-certified laboratories and interpreted at the Ultrasound Core Laboratory (University of Washington). The frequency of restenosis was calculated by Kaplan-Meier survival estimates and was compared during a 2-year follow-up period. We used proportional hazards models to assess the association between baseline characteristics and risk of restenosis. Analyses were per protocol. CREST is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00004732. 2191 patients received their assigned treatment within 30 days of randomisation and had eligible ultrasonography (1086 who had carotid artery stenting, 1105 who had carotid endarterectomy). In 2 years, 58 patients who underwent carotid artery stenting (Kaplan-Meier rate 6·0%) and 62 who had carotid endarterectomy (6·3%) had restenosis or occlusion (hazard ratio [HR] 0·90, 95% CI 0·63-1·29; p=0·58). Female sex (1·79, 1·25-2·56), diabetes (2·31, 1·61-3·31

Role of carotid duplex imaging in carotid screening programmes – an overview

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Gillard Jonathan H

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Stroke is the third most common cause of death in the UK and the largest single cause of severe disability. Each year more than 110,000 people in England suffer from a stroke which costs the National Health Service (NHS over GBP2.8 billion. Thus, it is imperative that patients at risk be screened for underlying carotid artery atherosclerosis. Aim To assess the role of carotid ultrasound in different carotid screening programmes. Methods A literature overview was carried out by using PubMed search engine, to identify different carotid screening programmes that had used ultrasound scan as a screening tool. Results It appears that the carotid ultrasound is an effective method for screening carotid artery disease in community as it effectively predicts the presence of stenosis with high accuracy. There is a need for primary care to recommend high risk patients for regular screening, to reduce stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA related morbidity and mortality. Conclusion Screening programmes using carotid ultrasonography contribute to public health awareness and promotion which in long term could potentially benefit in disease prevention and essentially promote better standards of healthcare.

Carotid plaque signal differences among four kinds of T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging techniques: A histopathological correlation study

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Saito, Ayumi; Narumi, Shinsuke; Ohba, Hideki; Yamaguchi, Mao; Terayama, Yasuo [Iwate Medical University, Department of Neurology and Gerontology, Morioka (Japan); Sasaki, Makoto; Kudo, Kohsuke [Iwate Medical University, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Morioka (Japan); Ogasawara, Kuniaki; Kobayashi, Masakazu [Iwate Medical University, Department of Neurosurgery, Morioka (Japan); Hitomi, Jiro [Iwate Medical University, Department of Anatomy, Morioka (Japan)

2012-11-15

Several magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques are used to examine atherosclerotic plaque of carotid arteries; however, the best technique for visualizing intraplaque characteristics has yet to be determined. Here, we directly compared four kinds of T1-weighted (T1W) imaging techniques with pathological findings in patients with carotid stenosis. A total of 31 patients who were candidates for carotid endarterectomy were prospectively examined using a 1.5-T MRI scanner, which produced four kinds of T1W images, including non-gated spin echo (SE), cardiac-gated black-blood (BB) fast-SE (FSE), magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition with gradient echo (MPRAGE), and source image of three-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiography (SI-MRA). The signal intensity of the carotid plaque was manually measured, and the contrast ratio (CR) against the adjacent muscle was calculated. CRs from the four imaging techniques were compared to each other and correlated with histopathological specimens. CRs of the carotid plaques mainly containing fibrous tissue, lipid/necrosis, and hemorrhage were significantly different with little overlaps (range: 0.92-1.15, 1.22-1.52, and 1.55-2.30, respectively) on non-gated SE. However, BB-FSE showed remarkable overlaps among the three groups (0.89-1.10, 1.07-1.23, and 1.01-1.42, respectively). MPRAGE could discriminate fibrous plaques from hemorrhagic plaques but not from lipid/necrosis-rich plaques: (0.77-1.07, 1.45-2.43, and 0.85-1.42, respectively). SI-MRA showed the same tendencies (1.01-1.39, 1.45-2.57, and 1.12-1.39, respectively). Among T1W MR imaging techniques, non-gated SE images can more accurately characterize intraplaque components in patients who underwent CEA when compared with cardiac-gated BB-FSE, MPRAGE, and SI-MRA images. (orig.)

Early experience of endovascular treatment of peripheral vascular disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashraf, T.; Yousuf, K.; Karim, M.T.

2015-01-01

Atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is prevalent affecting up to 16% of the population aged 55 years or older. Endovascular intervention for the treatment of limb ischemia has become the first line therapy but in Pakistan it is in embryonic stage due to dearth of trained persons and dedicated centres. This study was conducted to evaluate procedural success and early outcome of endovascular treatment of peripheral vascular disease. Methods: A prospective single arm multicentre study was conducted at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease and National Medical Centre, Karachi, Pakistan from January 2013 to June 2014. A total of 25 patients were enrolled in the study that underwent endovascular treatment. Out of 25 patients 23 (92%) had critical limb ischemia (CLI) as per TASC II classification (A to D) and 2 (8%) had carotid lesion with history of TIA. Patients of acute limb ischemia and stroke were excluded. Ankle brachial index (ABI) was classified as normal (0.9-1.3), mild (0.7-0.9), moderate (0.4-0.69), severe (<0.4). Outcome was taken as immediate success and symptoms, amputation of limb among CLI patients and incidence of stroke in patients with carotid artery lesion at end of six months. Results: Among aortoiliac, femoropopliteal and tibioperoneal lesions, tibioperoneal lesions at six months were found to be more symptomatic 6 (86%) and amputation 4 (57%). Two carotid lesions at follow up were asymptomatic without stroke. Conclusion: Endovascular treatment of peripheral vascular lesions, i.e., aortoiliac, femoropopliteal tibioperoneal and carotid lesions were satisfactory in immediate outcome. Tibioperoneal lesions were more symptomatic and limb amputation at six months. (author)

Urgent Carotid Surgery: Is It Still out of Debate?

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C. Battocchio

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Patients with symptomatic tight carotid stenosis have an increased short-time risk of stroke and an increased long-term risk of ischaemic vascular events compared with the general population. The aim of this study is to assess the safety, efficacy, and limitations of urgent CEA or CAS, in patients with carotid stenosis greater than 70% and clinically characterized by recurrent TIA or brain damage following a stroke (<2.5 cm. This study involved 28 patients divided into two groups. Group A consisted of sixteen patients who had undergone CEA, and group B consisted of twelve patients who had undergone CAS. Primary endpoints were mortality, neurological morbidity (by NIHSS and postoperative hemorrhagic cerebral conversion, at 30 days. Ten patients (62.5% of group A experienced an improvement in their initial neurological deficit while in 4 cases (26% the deficit remained stable. Two cases of neurologic mortality are presented. At 1 month, 9 patients (75% of group B experienced an improvement in their initial neurological deficit while 3 patients (25% had a neurological impairment. Urgent or deferred surgical or endovascular treatment have a satisfactory outcome considering the profile in very high-risk patient population. Otherwise in selected patients CEA seems to be preferred to CAS.

The Influence of Various Morphologic and Hemodynamic Carotid Plaque Characteristics on Neurological Events Onset and Deaths

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Milan D. Brajovic

2009-01-01

Full Text Available A group of 72 patients with 111 asymptomatic carotid stenoses (ACS, mean age 65.42 ± 9.21, and a group of 36 patients with 58 symptomatic carotid stenoses (SCS, mean age 67.63 ± 8.79, were analyzed prospectively during a 3-year follow-up period. All patients underwent color duplex scan sonography (CDS, carotid arteriography, computed tomography (CT scan, and neurological examination. The aim of the study was to analyze the correlation between echo plaque morphology (degree and plaque quality, local hemodynamic plaque characteristics, ischemic CT findings, and onset of new neurological events and deaths. The results analysis showed significantly more ACS in the group of 30–49% stenosis (p < 0.001, but significantly more SCS in the group of 70–89% (p < 0.0001 and ≥90% stenosis (p < 0.05. Fibrous plaque was more frequent in the ACS group (p < 0.001, while ulcerated and mixed plaques were more frequent in the SCS group (both p < 0.0001. In the SCS group, a significantly higher frequency of increased peak systolic and end diastolic velocities was noted at the beginning and end of the study (both p < 0.01, as well as for contralateral common (CCA or internal carotid artery (ICA occlusion (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively, but reduced carotid blood flow volume (p < 0.05 only at the end of the study. In the ACS group, the best correlation with new neurological events and deaths was shown with positive CT findings, peak systolic flow velocity over 210 cm/sec, end diastolic flow velocity over 110 cm/sec, plaque stenosis ≥70%, plaque ulceration, mixed plaque (all p < 0.0001; stenosis ≥50% (p < 0.001; and reduced carotid blood flow volume (p < 0.05.

C-reactive protein in relation to early atherosclerosis and periodontitis.

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Yakob, Maha; Meurman, Jukka H; Jogestrand, Tomas; Nowak, Jacek; Söder, Per-Östen; Söder, Birgitta

2012-02-01

Periodontitis may affect atherosclerosis via the chronic inflammation. We investigated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in relation to early vascular atherosclerotic changes in non-symptomatic subjects with and without long-term periodontitis. Carotid ultrasonography with calculation of common carotid artery intima-media area (cIMA) was performed, and hsCRP and atherosclerosis risk factors were analysed in randomly chosen 93 patients with periodontitis and 41 controls. The relationship between hsCRP, cIMA and atherosclerosis risk factors was evaluated with multiple logistic regression analysis. Women displayed lower hsCRP (p periodontitis, cIMA values were higher than in controls. Periodontitis appeared to be a major predictor for increased cIMA (odds ratio, 3.82; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-12.26). Neither of these factors was significantly associated with hsCRP which thus appeared not sensitive enough to be a marker for periodontitis or atherosclerosis. Hence, irrespective of low hsCRP levels, periodontitis appeared to increase the risk for atherosclerosis.

Microembolization is associated with transient cognitive decline in patients undergoing carotid interventions.

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Hitchner, Elizabeth; Baughman, Brittanie D; Soman, Salil; Long, Becky; Rosen, Allyson; Zhou, Wei

2016-12-01

Carotid interventions are important in helping to reduce the risk of stroke for patients with high-grade carotid artery stenosis; however, subclinical cerebral microemboli can occur during these procedures. Associations have been found between the incidence of microemboli and postoperative decline in memory. We therefore sought to determine whether this decline persisted long-term and to assess changes in other cognitive domains. Patients were prospectively recruited under an Institutional Review Board-approved protocol at a single academic center. Neuropsychological testing was administered preoperatively and at 1-month and 6-month intervals postoperatively. Cognitive domains that were evaluated included verbal memory, visual memory, psychomotor speed, dexterity, and executive function. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging sequencing was performed preoperatively and ≤48 hours postoperatively to identify procedure-related microemboli. Univariate and multivariate regression models were used to identify relationships among microembolization, demographics, and cognition. Included were 80 male patients with an average age of 69 years. Forty patients underwent carotid artery stenting and 40 underwent carotid endarterectomy. Comorbidities included diabetes in 45%, coronary artery disease in 50%, and prior neurologic symptoms in 41%. New postoperative microemboli were found in 45 patients (56%). Microembolization was significantly more common in the carotid artery stenting cohort (P memory and Trail Making A measures. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that procedurally related embolization (odds ratio [OR], 2.8; P = .04) and preoperative symptomatic stenosis (OR, 3.2; P = .026) were independent predictors of decline for the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test Short Delay measure at 1 month. At 6 months, no significant relationship was found between emboli and decline on Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test Short Delay, but age (OR, 1.1, P = .005) and

Establishing experimental model of human internal carotid artery siphon segment in canine common carotid artery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui Xuee; Li Minghua; Wang Yongli; Cheng Yingsheng; Li Wenbin

2005-01-01

Objective: To study the feasibility of establishing experimental model of human internal carotid artery siphon segment in canine common carotid artery (CCA) by end-to-end anastomoses of one side common carotid artery segment with the other side common carotid artery. Methods: Surgical techniques were used to make siphon model in 8 canines. One side CCA was taken as the parent artery and anastomosing with the cut off contra-lateral CCA segment which has passed through within the S-shaped glass tube. Two weeks after the creation of models angiography showed the model siphons were patent. Results: Experimental models of human internal carotid artery siphon segment were successfully made in all 8 dogs. Conclusions: It is practically feasible to establish experimental canine common carotid artery models of siphon segment simulating human internal carotid artery. (authors)

Race/Ethnic Differences in the Associations of the Framingham Risk Factors with Carotid IMT and Cardiovascular Events.

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Gijsberts, Crystel M; Groenewegen, Karlijn A; Hoefer, Imo E; Eijkemans, Marinus J C; Asselbergs, Folkert W; Anderson, Todd J; Britton, Annie R; Dekker, Jacqueline M; Engström, Gunnar; Evans, Greg W; de Graaf, Jacqueline; Grobbee, Diederick E; Hedblad, Bo; Holewijn, Suzanne; Ikeda, Ai; Kitagawa, Kazuo; Kitamura, Akihiko; de Kleijn, Dominique P V; Lonn, Eva M; Lorenz, Matthias W; Mathiesen, Ellisiv B; Nijpels, Giel; Okazaki, Shuhei; O'Leary, Daniel H; Pasterkamp, Gerard; Peters, Sanne A E; Polak, Joseph F; Price, Jacqueline F; Robertson, Christine; Rembold, Christopher M; Rosvall, Maria; Rundek, Tatjana; Salonen, Jukka T; Sitzer, Matthias; Stehouwer, Coen D A; Bots, Michiel L; den Ruijter, Hester M

2015-01-01

Clinical manifestations and outcomes of atherosclerotic disease differ between ethnic groups. In addition, the prevalence of risk factors is substantially different. Primary prevention programs are based on data derived from almost exclusively White people. We investigated how race/ethnic differences modify the associations of established risk factors with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events. We used data from an ongoing individual participant meta-analysis involving 17 population-based cohorts worldwide. We selected 60,211 participants without cardiovascular disease at baseline with available data on ethnicity (White, Black, Asian or Hispanic). We generated a multivariable linear regression model containing risk factors and ethnicity predicting mean common carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and a multivariable Cox regression model predicting myocardial infarction or stroke. For each risk factor we assessed how the association with the preclinical and clinical measures of cardiovascular atherosclerotic disease was affected by ethnicity. Ethnicity appeared to significantly modify the associations between risk factors and CIMT and cardiovascular events. The association between age and CIMT was weaker in Blacks and Hispanics. Systolic blood pressure associated more strongly with CIMT in Asians. HDL cholesterol and smoking associated less with CIMT in Blacks. Furthermore, the association of age and total cholesterol levels with the occurrence of cardiovascular events differed between Blacks and Whites. The magnitude of associations between risk factors and the presence of atherosclerotic disease differs between race/ethnic groups. These subtle, yet significant differences provide insight in the etiology of cardiovascular disease among race/ethnic groups. These insights aid the race/ethnic-specific implementation of primary prevention.

[EVALUATION OF ARTERIAL STIFFNESS AND POSSIBILITY TO PREDICT CAROTID ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN PATIENTS WITH ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION BASED ON AN OUTPATIENT FACILITY].

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Polipanov, A G; Mamasaidov, Zh A; Geleskhanova, Yu N; Cheskidova, N B; Romanova, T A; Dzhumagulova, A S

2016-01-01

To estimate the possibility of predicting the presence and severity of coronary atherosclerosis from arterial stiffness characteristics and augmentation index (AIx) in patients with essential hypertension (EH) obtained under outpatient conditions. The general clinical examination of 15 patients aged 30-70 yr with EH was supplemented by measuring blood glucose and creatinine levels, the lipid status (LWLP, HDLP, TG), duplex scanning of carotid arteries, and evaluation of arterial stiffness by pulsed wave contour analysis. AIx and age were independent risk factors of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with EH and severity of its manifestations. AIx values over 25% were with high specificity (over 85%) associated with atherosclerotic lesions.

Perceived work-related stress and early atherosclerotic changes in healthy employees.

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Bugajska, Joanna; Widerszal-Bazyl, Maria; Radkiewicz, Piotr; Pasierski, Tomasz; Szulczyk, Grazyna Anna; Zabek, Jakub; Wojciechowska, Bozena; Jedryka-Góral, Anna

2008-08-01

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between perceived work-related stress and preclinical atherosclerosis. A total of 100 managers and 50 office workers aged 35-65 participated in a questionnaire study. Individual, family and work-related stress risk factors and coping were evaluated in all the studied individuals. Serum levels of biochemical (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, TG, glucose) and serological risk factors of atherosclerosis (anticardiolipin, anti-beta(2) GPI, anti-oxLDL, anti-HSP and anti-hsCRP antibodies) were evaluated. A computer analysis of B-mode ultrasound images was used to assess carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and atherosclerotic plaque in carotid arteries. Statistical analysis was conducted with SPSS v. 11.5. The studied individuals showed average ranges of both the global stress level and of coping results. In 71% no changes were found in the ultrasound image and in 29% of individuals (43) the presence of plaque was shown. The mean value of the IMT measure was 0.0618 +/- 0.013 mm. IMT and plaque correlated negatively with the level of global work-related stress (r = -0.26; P related stress and coping, or between coping and IMT (P > 0.05), or between work-related stress and healthy lifestyle (no smoking, no excessive use of alcohol, high physical activity), or between healthy lifestyle and IMT (P > 0.05). Positive correlation between IMT and LDL and smoking did not result from higher stress reaction in the studied individuals. The explanation of the negative correlation between perceived work-related stress and preclinical atherosclerosis was not confirmed either by the subjects under high stress undertaking healthy protective activities or by their escaping into unhealthy behaviour. The most probable interpretation of the results is that in individuals with a low level of perceived work-related stress, somatization of stress takes place.

Quantitative analysis of ultrasound B-mode images of carotid atherosclerotic plaque: correlation with visual classification and histological examination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wilhjelm, Jens E.; Grønholdt, Marie-Louise; Wiebe, Brit

1998-01-01

regions of the plaque in still ultrasound images from three orthogonal scan planes and finally a histological analysis of the surgically removed plaque. The quantitative comparison was made with the linear model and with separation of the available data into training and test sets. The comparison......This paper presents a quantitative comparison of three types of information available for 52 patients scheduled for carotid endarterectomy: subjective classification of the ultrasound images obtained during scanning before operation, first- and second-order statistical features extracted from...

Zotarolimus-eluting stent for the treatment of recurrent, severe carotid artery in-stent stenosis in the TARGET-CAS population.

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Tekieli, Lukasz; Pieniazek, Piotr; Musialek, Piotr; Kablak-Ziembicka, Anna; Przewlocki, Tadeusz; Trystula, Mariusz; Moczulski, Zbigniew; Dzierwa, Karolina; Paluszek, Piotr; Podolec, Piotr

2012-06-01

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a balloon-mounted drug-eluting stent (DES) for recurrent carotid in-stent stenosis (ISS). As part of our targeted carotid artery stenting (TARGET-CAS) protocol, neurological and ultrasound evaluations have been performed at 3, 6, and 12 months and then annually since 2001 in all carotid stent patients. For angiographically-confirmed >70% ISS, balloon angioplasty was performed as a first-line treatment. Recurrent ISS was treated with a 4.0-mm zotarolimus-eluting coronary stent (ZES) that was postdilated according to intravascular ultrasound imaging. Among the 1350 neuroprotected CAS procedures performed between January 2001 and March 2011, there were 7 (0.52%) patients (5 men; ages 51-72 years), all neurologically asymptomatic, with >70% recurrent ISS that occurred at 5 to 11 months after the initial balloon angioplasty treatment for ISS. ZES implantation under distal embolic protection was technically successful and uncomplicated. Angiographic stenosis was reduced from 84.6%±7.5% to 10.7%±3.6% (p<0.01). In 5 patients with ZES implanted fully within the self-expanding carotid stent, duplex ultrasound follow-up (mean 17 months, range 6-36) revealed no evidence of restenosis or stent fracture/deformation. In the 2 other patients, the ZES had been implanted for distal edge ISS such that the ZES protruded beyond the original carotid stent. This protruding segment of the ZES demonstrated deformation/kinking in both; in one, this led to symptomatic stent occlusion. The use of coronary ZES in the treatment of recurrent carotid ISS is feasible and appears effective provided the ZES is placed entirely within the original stent. Placement of a coronary ZES outside the carotid stent scaffold should be avoided.

Statin Treatment Is Associated with Reduction in Serum Levels of Receptor Activator of NF-κB Ligand and Neutrophil Activation in Patients with Severe Carotid Stenosis

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Sébastien Lenglet

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Systemic and intraplaque biomarkers have been widely investigated in clinical cohorts as promising surrogate parameters of cardiovascular vulnerability. In this pilot study, we investigated if systemic and intraplaque levels of calcification biomarkers were affected by treatment with a statin in a cohort of patients with severe carotid stenosis and being asymptomatic for ischemic stroke. Patients on statin therapy had reduced serum osteopontin (OPN, RANKL/osteoprotegerin (OPG ratio, and MMP-9/pro-MMP-9 activity as compared to untreated patients. Statin-treated patients exhibited increased levels of collagen and reduced neutrophil infiltration in downstream portions of carotid plaques as compared to untreated controls. In upstream plaque portions, OPG content was increased in statin-treated patients as compared to controls. Other histological parameters (such as lipid, macrophage, smooth muscle cell, and MMP-9 content as well as RANKL, RANK, and OPG mRNA levels did not differ between the two patient groups. Serum RANKL/OPG ratio positively correlated with serum levels of neutrophilic products, intraplaque neutrophil, and MMP-9 content within downstream portions of carotid plaques. In conclusion, statin treatment was associated with improvement in serum RANKL levels and reduced neutrophil activity both systemically and in atherosclerotic plaques.

p.Q192R SNP of PON1 seems not to be Associated with Carotid Atherosclerosis Risk Factors in an Asymptomatic and Normolipidemic Brazilian Population Sample

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Daniel Zanetti Scherrer

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Background:Evidences suggest that paraoxonase 1 (PON1 confers important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties when associated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL.Objective:To investigate the relationships between p.Q192R SNP of PON1, biochemical parameters and carotid atherosclerosis in an asymptomatic, normolipidemic Brazilian population sample.Methods:We studied 584 volunteers (females n = 326, males n = 258; 19-75 years of age. Total genomic DNA was extracted and SNP was detected in the TaqMan® SNP OpenArray® genotyping platform (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA. Plasma lipoproteins and apolipoproteins were determined and PON1 activity was measured using paraoxon as a substrate. High-resolution β-mode ultrasonography was used to measure cIMT and the presence of carotid atherosclerotic plaques in a subgroup of individuals (n = 317.Results:The presence of p.192Q was associated with a significant increase in PON1 activity (RR = 12.30 (11.38; RQ = 46.96 (22.35; QQ = 85.35 (24.83 μmol/min; p Conclusion:In low-risk individuals, the presence of the p.192Q variant of PON1 is associated with a beneficial plasma lipid profile but not with carotid atherosclerosis.

Incidence of ischemic lesions by diffusion-weighted imaging after carotid endarterectomy with routine shunt usage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, Tomohiro; Tsutsumi, Kazuo; Adachi, Shinobu; Tanaka, Shota; Yako, Kyoko; Saito, Kuniaki; Kunii, Naoto; Maeda, Keiitirou

2006-01-01

Temporary intraluminal shunt was used during 72 consecutive carotid endarterectomies (CEAs) in 61 patients (bilateral CEA in 11 patients) during October 2001 and September 2005. The medical records of these patients were retrospectively reviewed. All procedures were performed with routine shunt insertion without monitoring such as electroencephalography. Pre- and postoperative diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was used to detect ischemic complications. Postoperative angiography was performed in 70 cases to detect abnormalities such as major stenosis or dissection of the distal end. Symptomatic ischemic complication occurred in one patient at 1 month. Postoperative diffusion-weighted MR imaging detected new hyperintense lesions in three patients including the symptomatic patient. Postoperative angiography confirmed that the distal end was satisfactory in all cases. The incidence of ischemic lesions of embolic origin after CEA with routine shunt usage is acceptably low if the procedure of shunt device insertion and removal is meticulously conducted. (author)

Local intra-arterial thrombolysis in the carotid territory: does recanalization depend on the thromboembolus type?

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Urbach, H.; Wilhelm, K.; Flacke, S.; Schild, H.H. [Department of Radiology/Neuroradiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund Freud Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn (Germany); Hartmann, A.; Pohl, C.; Klockgether, T. [Department of Neurology, University of Bonn, Sigmund Freud Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn (Germany); Omran, H. [Department of Cardiology, University of Bonn, Sigmund Freud Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn (Germany)

2002-08-01

Little is known about whether recanalization of carotid territory occlusions by local intra-arterial thrombolysis (LIT) depends on the type of the occluding thromboembolus. We retrospectively analysed the records of 62 patients with thromboembolic occlusions of the intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) bifurcation or the middle cerebral artery who were undergoing LIT with urokinase within 6 h of symptom onset. We determined the influence of thromboembolus type (according to the TOAST criteria), thromboembolus location, leptomeningeal collaterals, time interval from onset of symptoms to onset of thrombolysis, and patient's age on recanalization. The thromboembolus type was atherosclerotic in six patients, cardioembolic in 29, of other determined etiology in four, and of undetermined etiology in 23 patients. Thirty-three (53%) thromboembolic occlusions were recanalized. The thromboembolus location but not the TOAST stroke type nor other parameters affected recanalization. In the TOAST group of patients with cardioembolic occlusions recanalization occurred significantly less frequently when transoesophageal echocardiography showed cardiac thrombus. The present study underlines the thromboembolus location as being the most important parameter affecting recanalization. The fact that thromboembolic occlusions originating from cardiac thrombi had a lower likelihood of being resolved by thrombolysis indicates the thromboembolus type as another parameter affecting recanalization. (orig.)

Treatment of carotid artery aneurysms with covered stents; Aneurysmabehandlung der Arteria carotis interna mit gecoverten Stents

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Rohr, A.; Alfke, K.; Doerner, L.; Jansen, O. [UKSH Kiel (Germany). Neurochirurgie Neuroradiologie; Bartsch, T.; Stingele, R. [UKSH Kiel (Germany). Neurologie

2007-10-15

Purpose: Evaluation of the use of covered stents in treating pseudoaneurysms of the cervical and intracranial/extradural carotid artery and determination of the periprocedural and short- to mid-term complication rate. Materials and Methods: 8 patients with 9 spontaneous dissecting aneurysms of the cervical carotid artery - 5 of which were symptomatic - plus one patient with ofthalmoplegia due to an aneurysm of the cavernous carotid artery were studied. While the latter was treated with a PTFE-covered balloon-mounted stainless steel stent (Jostent/Graftmaster), a self-expanding PTFE-covered Nitonol Stent (Symbiot) was used in all other cases. Intervention was performed with local anesthesia. Aspirin and Clopidogrel were both used as antiplatelet drugs. Clinical signs and symptoms and vascular imaging with DS, MR, CT angiography and ultrasound were recorded during patient follow-up, with a mean follow-up period of 14.6 months (4 - 30). Results: We were able to treat 8 out of 10 aneurysms (80 %) using covered stents. The aneurysms were immediately occluded and the associated stenoses of the parent vessel were eliminated. No clinically relevant complications occurred during the procedure or in the follow-up interval. In two cases, elongation of the carotid artery prevented the stent from being positioned over the aneurysm neck. These cases were shown to be stable with the use of antiplatelet drugs. Conclusion: Covered stents can be used in the treatment of pseudoaneurysms of the carotid artery as an alternative to long-term antithrombotic medication or surgery. In our study treatment was effective (80 %) and free of complications in the short- and mid-term follow-up. Possible indications, technique and the use of imaging modalities for patient follow-up are discussed. (orig.)

Clinical application of transvenous temporary cardiac pacemaker in performing extra-cranial carotid angiography and stent implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Juan; Yao Guoen; Zhou Huadong; Jiang Xiaojiang; Chen Qiao

2012-01-01

Objective: To assess the safety and effectiveness of transvenous temporary cardiac pacemaker in preventing hemodynamic instability occurred during the perioperative period of extra-cranial carotid angiography and stent implantation. Methods: Preoperative install of temporary cardiac pacemaker via left femoral vein was carried out in 41 patients who were at high risk for developing hemodynamic instability, which was followed by extra-cranial carotid angiography and stent implantation. The pacing rhythm of the pacemaker was fixed at 60 beats/min. During and after the procedure the patients were under close observation for the signs of discomfort symptoms as well as the changes in blood pressure and heart rate. The working condition of the pacemaker was also monitored. Results: All the installed pacemakers were technically and hemodynamically effective in producing electrical ventricular responses in all 25 patients who had received balloon dilatation of carotid in advance. Transient pacemaker activation appeared in 25 patients. The longest activation time was one day. During pacemaker activation, one patient developed symptomatic hypotension. The longest duration of hypotension lasted for 4 days. No pacemaker-related or procedure-related complications occurred. Conclusion: Hemodynamic instability is a common complication occurred during perioperative period of extra-cranial carotid angiography and stent implantation. As a prophylactic measure, preoperative placement of temporary cardiac pacemaker can promptly and effectively correct the hemodynamic disorders and prevent perioperative complications such as stroke, etc. Therefore, this technique is worth employing in clinical practice, and it is especially useful for patients with high risks. (authors)

Resolution of carotid stenosis pre-carotid intervention: A case for selective preoperative duplex ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Abid; Ashrafi, Mohammed; Zeynali, Iraj

2015-01-01

Spontaneous resolution of carotid stenosis is a phenomenon that has been described in literature in the past. At present it is not routine practise to scan patients prior to carotid endarterectomy surgery within the UK. A 58 year old female presented to hospital with a history of sudden onset headache and left sided weakness. CT head showed findings in keeping with an acute right MCA territory infarct. A duplex ultrasound scan showed echolucent material in the right internal carotid artery forming a greater than 95% stenosis. The scan was unable to visualise the patency of the vessel distally due to the position of the mandible. The patient was provisionally listed for carotid endarterectomy. An MRA was requested prior to surgery to assess the patency of the distal internal carotid artery. The MRA of the carotids showed normal appearance of the common carotid, internal and vertebral arteries with no definite stenosis. A repeat duplex ultrasound confirmed there was no significant stenosis. The finding of complete resolution of stenosis on MRA was an unexpected event. Had the initial duplex imaging allowed visualisation of the distal vessel patency, our patient would have undergone unnecessary carotid surgery with the associated morbidity and mortality. This case report draws attention to the benefits of selective preoperative scanning, in sparing patients from unnecessary surgery as a result of finding occlusion or resolution of a previously diagnosed carotid stenosis. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Anomalous external carotid artery-internal carotid artery anastomosis in two patients with proximal internal carotid arterial remnants

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Kim, Chang Hun [Dept. of Neurology, Stroke Center, Myongji Hospital, Goyang (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Young Dae; Kang, Hyun Seung; Kim, Jeong Eun; Han, Moon Hee [Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Seung Chai [Dept. of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Ahn, Jun Hyong [Dept. of Neurosurgery, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang (Korea, Republic of)

2015-08-15

Two angiographic instances of anomalous external carotid artery (ECA) and internal carotid artery (ICA) anastomosis are described, each occurring at the C2-3 level and bearing remnants of proximal ICA. The ICA remnant of one patient (identifiable immediately upon bifurcation of the common carotid artery) was hypoplastic, and that of the other patient was an occluded arterial stump. These features are not typical of non-bifurcating ICA. The occipital artery originated from an anomalous connection in one instance and from the main trunk of the ECA (just past the ECA-ICA connection) in the other.

Quantitative assessment of changes in carotid plaques during cilostazol administration using three-dimensional ultrasonography and non-gated magnetic resonance plaque imaging

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Yamaguchi, Mao; Ohba, Hideki; Mori, Kiyofumi; Narumi, Shinsuke; Katsura, Noriyuki; Ohura, Kazumasa; Terayama, Yasuo [Iwate Medical University, Department of Neurology and Gerontology, Morioka (Japan); Sasaki, Makoto; Kudo, Kohsuke [Iwate Medical University, Division of Ultrahigh Field MRI, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Morioka (Japan)

2012-09-15

Cilostazol, an antiplatelet agent, is reported to induce the regression of atherosclerotic changes. However, its effects on carotid plaques are unknown. Hence, we quantitatively investigated the changes that occur within carotid plaques during cilostazol administration using three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography (US) and non-gated magnetic resonance (MR) plaque imaging. We prospectively examined 16 consecutive patients with carotid stenosis. 3D-US and T1-weighted MR plaque imaging were performed at baseline and 6 months after initiating cilostazol therapy (200 mg/day). We measured the volume and grayscale median (GSM) of the plaques from 3D-US data. We also calculated the contrast ratio (CR) of the carotid plaque against the adjacent muscle and areas of the intraplaque components: fibrous tissue, lipid, and hemorrhage components. The plaque volume on US decreased significantly (median at baseline and 6 months, 0.23 and 0.21 cm{sup 3}, respectively; p = 0.03). In the group exhibiting a plaque volume reduction of more than 10%, GSM on US increased significantly (24.8 and 71.5, respectively; p = 0.04) and CR on MRI decreased significantly (1.13 and 1.04, respectively; p = 0.02). In this group, in addition, the percent area of the fibrous component on MRI increased significantly (68.6% and 79.4%, respectively; p = 0.02), while those of the lipid and hemorrhagic components decreased (24.9% and 20.5%, respectively; p = 0.12) (1.0% and 0.0%, respectively; p = 0.04). There were no substantial changes in intraplaque characteristics in either US or MRI in the other group. 3D-US and MR plaque imaging can quantitatively detect changes in the size and composition of carotid plaques during cilostazol therapy. (orig.)

Efficacy of patient selection strategies for carotid endarterectomy by contrast-enhanced MRA on a 1 T machine and duplex ultrasound in a regional hospital

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korteweg, M.A.; Kerkhoff, H.; Bakker, J.; Elgersma, O.E.H.

2008-01-01

Aim: To investigate whether contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) and duplex ultrasound (DUS) could replace digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for diagnosing internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis in regional centres with less specialized technicians and equipment, such as a 1 Tesla MRI machine. Materials and methods: Sixty-six consecutive, symptomatic patients with ICA stenosis, as evidenced using DSA, were included. In the first 34 patients DUS was validated and cut-off criteria were established. Data were analysed by receiver operating characteristic curve and logistic regression. Two observers analysed the DUS and CE-MRA results of 32 patients. Stenoses were categorized in accordance with North American Symptomatic Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) measurement criteria. Results: Peak systolic velocity (PSV) in the ICA was defined as a better parameter for defining stenosis than end diastolic velocity and the PSV ICA:common carotid artery ratio. The optimal PSV threshold was 230 cm/s. Four ICAs were not interpretable on DUS, and one on CE-MRA. Two patients did not undergo CE-MRA. The sensitivities and specificities were calculated: for DUS these were 100% and 68% respectively; for observer 1 on CE-MRA these were 93% and 89%, respectively; for observer 2 these were 92% and 87%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for combined DUS/CE-MRA were 100% and 85%, respectively. Seventy-eight percent of CE-MRA and DUS correlated. The weighted Kappa for CE-MRA and DSA were 0.8 and 0.9, respectively. Conclusion: DUS and CE-MRA are effective non-invasive methods for selecting patients with ICA stenosis for carotid endarterectomy in non-specialized centres using a 1 T machine. The present results suggest that no referrals to more specialized centres for non-invasive diagnostic work-up for carotid artery stenoses will be necessary

Gene expression levels of elastin and fibulin-5 according to differences between carotid plaque regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Sivrikoz, Emre; Timirci-Kahraman, Özlem; Ergen, Arzu; Zeybek, Ümit; Aksoy, Murat; Yanar, Fatih; İsbir, Turgay; Kurtoğlu, Mehmet

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the gene expression levels of elastin and fibulin-5 according to differences between carotid plaque regions and to correlate it with clinical features of plaque destabilization. The study included 44 endarterectomy specimens available from operated symptomatic carotid artery stenoses. The specimens were separated according to anatomic location: internal carotid artery (ICA), external carotid artery (ECA) and common carotid artery (CCA), and then stored in liquid nitrogen. The amounts of cDNA for elastin and fibulin-5 were determined by Quantitative real-time PCR (Q-RT-PCR). Target gene copy numbers were normalized using hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT1) gene. The delta-delta CT method was applied for relative quantification. Q-RT-PCR data showed that relative fibulin-5 gene expression was increased in ICA plaque regions when compared to CCA regions but not reaching significance (p=0.061). At the same time, no differences were observed in elastin mRNA level between different anatomic plaque regions (p>0.05). Moreover, elastin and fibulin-5 mRNA expression and clinical parameters were compared in ICA plaques versus CCA and ECA regions, respectively. Up-regulation of elastin and fibulin-5 mRNA levels in ICA were strongly correlated with family history of cardiovascular disease when compared to CCA (p<0.05). Up-regulation of fibulin-5 in ICA was significantly associated with diabetes, and elevated triglycerides and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) when compared to ECA (p<0.05). The clinical significance is the differences between the proximal and distal regions of the lesion, associated with the ICA, CCA and ECA respectively, with increased fibulin-5 in the ICA region. Copyright © 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

Carotid Consensus Panel duplex criteria can replace modified University of Washington criteria without affecting accuracy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ann H; Augustin, Gener; Shevitz, Andrew; Kim, Hannah; Trivonovich, Michael R; Powell, Alexis R; Kumins, Norman; Tarr, Robert; Kashyap, Vikram S

2018-04-01

The decision to intervene for internal carotid stenosis often depends on the degree of stenosis seen on duplex ultrasound (US). The aim of this study is to compare the diagnostic accuracy of two criteria: modified University of Washington (UW) and 2003 Carotid Consensus Panel (CCP). All patients undergoing US in an accredited (IAC) vascular laboratory from January 2010 to June 2015 were reviewed ( n=18,772 US exams). Patients receiving a neck computed tomography angiography (CTA) within 6 months of the US were included in the study ( n=254). The degree of stenosis was determined by UW/CCP criteria and confirmed on CTA images using North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET)/European Carotid Surgery Trial (ECST) schema. Kappa analysis with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized to determine duplex-CTA agreement. A total of 417 carotid arteries from 221 patients were assessed in this study. The modified UW criteria accurately classified 266 (63.9%, kappa = 0.321, 95% CI 0.255 to 0.386) cases according to NASCET-derived measurements. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy at ≥ 60% stenosis were 65.7%, 81.3%, and 81.9%. The CCP criteria resulted in 296 (70.9%) accurate diagnoses (kappa = 0.359, 95% CI 0.280 to 0.437). At ≥ 70% stenosis, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 38.8%, 91.6%, and 87.1% for NASCET. Comparison of the duplex results to ECST-derived CTA measurements revealed a similar trend (UW 53.1%, κ = 0.301 vs CCP 62.1%, κ = 0.315). The CCP criteria demonstrate a higher concordance rate with measurements taken from CTAs. The CCP criteria may be more sensitive in classifying clinically significant degrees of stenosis without a loss in diagnostic accuracy.

Endogenous Cholesterol Excretion Is Negatively Associated With Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Humans.

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Lin, Xiaobo; Racette, Susan B; Ma, Lina; Wallendorf, Michael; Dávila-Román, Victor G; Ostlund, Richard E

2017-12-01

Epidemiological studies strongly suggest that lipid factors independent of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol contribute significantly to cardiovascular disease risk. Because circulating lipoproteins comprise only a small fraction of total body cholesterol, the mobilization and excretion of cholesterol from plasma and tissue pools may be an important determinant of cardiovascular disease risk. Our hypothesis is that fecal excretion of endogenous cholesterol is protective against atherosclerosis. Cholesterol metabolism and carotid intima-media thickness were quantitated in 86 nondiabetic adults. Plasma cholesterol was labeled by intravenous infusion of cholesterol-d 7 solubilized in a lipid emulsion and dietary cholesterol by cholesterol-d 5 and the nonabsorbable stool marker sitostanol-d 4 . Plasma and stool samples were collected while subjects consumed a cholesterol- and phytosterol-controlled metabolic kitchen diet and were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Carotid intima-media thickness was negatively correlated with fecal excretion of endogenous cholesterol ( r =-0.426; P cholesterol ( r =-0.472; P ≤0.0001), and daily percent excretion of cholesterol from the rapidly mixing cholesterol pool ( r =-0.343; P =0.0012) and was positively correlated with percent cholesterol absorption ( r =+0.279; P =0.0092). In a linear regression model controlling for age, sex, systolic blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and statin drug use, fecal excretion of endogenous cholesterol remained significant ( P =0.0008). Excretion of endogenous cholesterol is strongly, independently, and negatively associated with carotid intima-media thickness. The reverse cholesterol transport pathway comprising the intestine and the rapidly mixing plasma, and tissue cholesterol pool could be an unrecognized determinant of cardiovascular disease risk not reflected in circulating lipoproteins. Further work is needed to relate measures of

eNOS Glu298Asp polymorphism is associated with development of complicated plaques in patients from Serbia with advanced carotid atherosclerosis

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Đurić Tamara

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Nitric oxide inhibits adhesion of thrombocytes, proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells and restricts oxidation of atherogenic low-density lipoproteins. Therefore, decreased production or activity of NO may play a role in the initiation, progression or complications of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to estimate the effect of Glu298Asp eNOS gene polymorphism on the individual risk for development of complicated carotid atherosclerotic plaque in patients from Serbia with advanced carotid atherosclerosis (CA who had undergone endarterectomy. The study population included 233 patients. eNOS G894T gene polymorphism was identified by PCR and RFLP methods. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that Asp298Asp is an independent risk factor for the presence of complicated plaques in CA patients. Patients who were homozygous for the Asp298 allele had an adjusted OR of 4.36 for the development of complicated plaques compared to those that carry the Glu298 allele. Further validation and replication studies are needed. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. OI175085

Wingspan stent for symptomatic M1 stenosis of middle cerebral artery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Xinbin; Ma Nan; Hu Xiaobo; Guan Sheng; Fan Yimu

2011-01-01

Objective: Stent placement for intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis has become an alternative treatment technique; however, stent placement for middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis remains a technical and clinical challenge. Our purpose was to assess the safety and feasibility of Wingspan stent for patients with symptomatic M1 stenosis, and its initial effect on prevention of ischemic events. Methods: Fifty-three cases with recurrent symptomatic MCA stenosis resistant to medical therapy treated by self-expanding stent were reviewed retrospectively (average 58 ± 18.5 years old, 19 women). All patients underwent angioplasty and stenting with the Gateway balloon–Wingspan stent system, and advised follow-up with DSA or TCD at 6th month. Results: Patients had an average stenosis ratio of 76.5 ± 15.4% prior to the treatment. Of the 53 patients, the technical success rate was 98.1% as a whole (52/53). The mean degree of stenosis reduced from (76.5 ± 15.4)% to (18.2 ± 11.3)%. Complications associated with the procedure include subarachnoid hemorrhage (1.89%) and occlusion (3.78%) occurred. During a follow-up of 6 months, there was no recurrence of transient ischemic attack or stroke in 52 cases with successful stenting. Cerebral hemodynamics of MCA using transcranial Doppler monitoring were at normal level (<120 cm/s) in 41 follow-up patients. The follow up angiography at 6 month post-procedure was conducted in 32 patients and showed good patency in stented vessels. Conclusions: Wingspan stent for symptomatic stenosis of middle cerebral artery is a safe and feasible procedure. It improves clinical outcome in the intermediate follow up, but its long-term effect remains to be further evaluated.

Severe ipsilateral carotid stenosis and middle cerebral artery disease in lacunar ischaemic stroke: innocent bystanders?

Science.gov (United States)

Mead, G E; Lewis, S C; Wardlaw, J M; Dennis, M S; Warlow, C P

2002-03-01

Lacunar infarcts are thought to be mostly due to intracranial small vessel disease. Therefore, when a stroke patient with a relevant lacunar infarct does have severe ipsilateral internal carotid artery (ICA) or middle cerebral artery (MCA) disease, it is unclear whether the arterial disease is causative or coincidental. If causative, we would expect ICA/MCA disease to be more severe on the symptomatic side than on the asymptomatic side. Therefore, our aim was to compare the severity of ipsilateral with contralateral ICA and MCA disease in patients with lacunar ischaemic stroke. We studied 259 inpatients and outpatients with a recent lacunar ischaemic stroke and no other prior stroke. We used carotid Duplex ultrasound and transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound to identify ICA and MCA disease, and compared our results with previously published data. In our study, there was no difference between the severity of ipsilateral and contralateral ICA stenosis within individuals (median difference 0%, Wilcoxon paired data p=0.24, comparing severity of ipsilateral and contralateral stenosis). The overall prevalence of severe ipsilateral stenosis was 5%, and the prevalence of severe contralateral stenosis was 4% (OR 1.6, 95% CI 0.6, 4.8). There was no difference in the prevalence of ipsilateral and contralateral MCA disease. A systematic review of the other available studies strengthened this conclusion. Carotid stenosis in patients with a lacunar ischaemic stroke may be coincidental. Further studies are required to elucidate the causes of lacunar stroke, and to evaluate the role of carotid endarterectomy.

Mixing in the human carotid artery during carotid drug infusion studied with PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Junck, L.; Koeppe, R.A.; Greenberg, H.S.

1989-01-01

The safety and efficacy of drug infusion into the carotid artery require adequate mixing of the infused solution with carotid blood. Using positron emission tomography (PET), we studied the mixing of solutions infused into the human carotid artery in seven patients by analyzing the distribution of [15O]H2O infused into the carotid artery and by vein. At four infusion rates ranging from 0.5 to 10 ml/min, the variability in distribution averaged 16.5-17.8% among the pixels in a large volume of interest, without dependence on the infusion rate. The overall correlation between [15O]H2O influx with arterial infusion and [15O]H2O influx with venous injection was 0.78-0.82 at the four infusion rates, with no trend toward higher correlations at the faster infusion rates. The distribution into the anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral artery territories differed from distribution throughout the entire carotid territory by an average of 6.2-9.6% at the four infusion rates, with no trend toward smaller differences at the faster infusion rates. Infusions performed into a vinyl tube simulating the carotid artery indicated that at 0.5 ml/min, the velocity of fluid exiting the catheter makes no apparent contribution to mixing. We conclude that with infusions at the carotid bifurcation, mixing in the human carotid artery is complete or nearly complete over a wide range of infusion rates. The mixing appears to result from the patterns of blood flow within the artery, and not from jet effects at the catheter tip

Treatment of complex internal carotid artery aneurysms using radial artery grafts. Surgical technique, perioperative complications, and results in 17 patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murai, Yasuo; Teramoto, Akira; Mizunari, Takayuki; Kobayashi, Shiro; Kamiyama, Hiroyasu

2007-01-01

Complex giant or large internal carotid artery aneurysms present a surgical challenge because limitations and difficulty are encountered with either clipping or endovascular treatment. Our review of previous reports suggests that no current vascular assessment can accurately predict the occurrence of ischemic complications after internal carotid artery ligation. The present study concerns surgical technique, complications, and clinical outcome of radial artery grafting followed by parent artery trapping or proximal occlusion for management of these difficult lesions. Between September 1997 and October 2005, we performed radial artery grafting followed immediately by parent artery occlusion in 17 patients with giant or large complex intracranial carotid aneurysms (3 men, 14 women; mean follow-up duration, 62 months). All patients underwent postoperative digital subtraction angiography to assess graft patency and aneurysm obliteration. All 17 aneurysms were excluded from the cerebral circulation, with all radial artery grafts patent. Among 4 patients with cranial nerve disturbances, dysfunction was temporary in 5; in the others, oculomotor nerve paresis persisted. No perioperative cerebral infarction occurred. Sensory aphasia reflecting cerebral contusions caused by temporal lobe retraction resolved within 2 months, as did hemiparesis from a postoperative epidural hematoma. With appropriate attention to surgical technique, radial artery grafting followed by acute parent artery occlusion is a safe treatment for complex internal carotid artery aneurysms. Graft patency and aneurysm thrombosis were achieved in all patients. Cranial nerve dysfunction (III, VI) caused by altered blood flow from the internal carotid artery after occlusion was the most common complication and typically was temporary. In our experience with these difficult aneurysms, not only clipping but also reconstruction of the internal carotid artery was required, especially for wide-necked symptomatic

Perfusion MRI before and after acetazolamide administration for assessment of cerebrovascular reserve capacity in patients with symptomatic internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion: comparison with {sup 99m}Tc-ECD SPECT

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Ma, J.; Holtmannspoetter, M.; Brueckmann, H. [University of Munich, Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Grosshadern, Munich (Germany); Mehrkens, J.H.; Schmid-Elsaesser, R. [University of Munich, Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum Grosshadern, Munich (Germany); Linke, R. [University of Munich, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Klinikum Grosshadern, Munich (Germany); Steiger, H.J. [Heinrich-Heine University, Department of Neurosurgery, Duesseldorf (Germany); Bruening, R. [University of Munich, Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Grosshadern, Munich (Germany); Asklepios Klinik Barmbek, Department of Radiology, Hamburg (Germany)

2007-04-15

Impaired cerebral vascular reserve (CVR) in patients with symptomatic internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion is regarded as a possible indication for performing extra-/intracranial (EC/IC) bypass surgery. As perfusion MR imaging (MRI) can demonstrate cerebral haemodynamics at capillary level, our hypothesis was that perfusion MRI could be used in these patients for the evaluation of CVR following acetazolamide challenge in a similar way to single photon emission CT (SPECT) and might provide additional information. Enrolled in the study were 12 patients (mean age 61.3 years; 11 male, 1 female) with symptomatic unilateral ICA occlusion proven by angiography. Both perfusion MRI and 99m-technetium-ethyl-cysteinate dimer ({sup 99m}Tc-ECD) SPECT were performed before and after injection of acetazolamide (Diamox,1000 mg i.v.). CVR parameters including regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and volume (rCBV), and mean transit times (MTT) were measured by perfusion MRI. The patients with impaired CVR proven by SPECT (n = 9) had a negative mean rCBF increment (-46.52%), negative rCBV increment (-13.5%) and delayed MTT (mean +2.98 s), respectively, on the occluded side (Student's t-test all P < 0.05). The patients with sufficient CVR (n = 3) had a mean rCBF increment of 1.2%, a decrement of rCBV of 10.46%, and a mean MTT shortening of 0.27 s following the acetazolamide injection. Perfusion MRI before and after acetazolamide administration compares favourably with {sup 99m}Tc-ECD SPECT for the detection of impaired CVR. The impact that perfusion MRI studies (before and after acetazolamide administration) might have on the treatment decision in patients with ICA occlusion has yet to be determined by a prospective study. (orig.)

MR imaging of carotid webs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boesen, Mari E.; Eswaradass, Prasanna Venkatesan; Singh, Dilip; Mitha, Alim P.; Menon, Bijoy K.; Goyal, Mayank; Frayne, Richard

2017-01-01

We propose a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging protocol for the characterization of carotid web morphology, composition, and vessel wall dynamics. The purpose of this case series was to determine the feasibility of imaging carotid webs with MR imaging. Five patients diagnosed with carotid web on CT angiography were recruited to undergo a 30-min MR imaging session. MR angiography (MRA) images of the carotid artery bifurcation were acquired. Multi-contrast fast spin echo (FSE) images were acquired axially about the level of the carotid web. Two types of cardiac phase resolved sequences (cineFSE and cine phase contrast) were acquired to visualize the elasticity of the vessel wall affected by the web. Carotid webs were identified on MRA in 5/5 (100%) patients. Multi-contrast FSE revealed vessel wall thickening and cineFSE demonstrated regional changes in distensibility surrounding the webs in these patients. Our MR imaging protocol enables an in-depth evaluation of patients with carotid webs: morphology (by MRA), composition (by multi-contrast FSE), and wall dynamics (by cineFSE). (orig.)

MR imaging of carotid webs

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Boesen, Mari E. [University of Calgary, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Calgary (Canada); Foothills Medical Centre, Seaman Family MR Research Centre, Calgary (Canada); Eswaradass, Prasanna Venkatesan; Singh, Dilip; Mitha, Alim P.; Menon, Bijoy K. [University of Calgary, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Calgary (Canada); Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary Stroke Program, Calgary (Canada); Goyal, Mayank [Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary Stroke Program, Calgary (Canada); University of Calgary, Department of Radiology, Calgary (Canada); Frayne, Richard [Foothills Medical Centre, Seaman Family MR Research Centre, Calgary (Canada); University of Calgary, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary (Canada)

2017-04-15

We propose a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging protocol for the characterization of carotid web morphology, composition, and vessel wall dynamics. The purpose of this case series was to determine the feasibility of imaging carotid webs with MR imaging. Five patients diagnosed with carotid web on CT angiography were recruited to undergo a 30-min MR imaging session. MR angiography (MRA) images of the carotid artery bifurcation were acquired. Multi-contrast fast spin echo (FSE) images were acquired axially about the level of the carotid web. Two types of cardiac phase resolved sequences (cineFSE and cine phase contrast) were acquired to visualize the elasticity of the vessel wall affected by the web. Carotid webs were identified on MRA in 5/5 (100%) patients. Multi-contrast FSE revealed vessel wall thickening and cineFSE demonstrated regional changes in distensibility surrounding the webs in these patients. Our MR imaging protocol enables an in-depth evaluation of patients with carotid webs: morphology (by MRA), composition (by multi-contrast FSE), and wall dynamics (by cineFSE). (orig.)

Stent angioplasty for the treatment of symptomatic stenosis of middle cerebral artery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Huisheng; Niu Huiming; Chao Yuanxiang; Li Xiaoning; Wu Dingfeng; Zhang Chenhong; Yang Jie; Zhang Liang

2010-01-01

Objective: To investigate the safety and feasibility of endovascular stent angioplasty in treating symptomatic stenosis of middle cerebral artery. Methods: Endovascular angioplasty with coronary stents was performed in 27 patients with symptomatic stenosis of middle cerebral artery. The clinical results were reviewed and analyzed. Results: Of the total 27 patients, successful placement of the coronary stents was achieved in 24. Angiography immediately after the procedure showed that the stenotic degree of the diseased artery was markedly decreased from preoperative (80 ± 19)% to postoperative (8 ±4)%, the improvement was very obvious. Percutaneous transcatheter angioplasty had to be employed in two cases because of the failure of stent placement. A mean follow-up period of 18 months was carried out. During the following up period no transient cerebral ischemia attack occurred in 25 patients and no newly-developed cerebral infarction in region fed by the responsible vessels occurred either.Re-irrigation cerebral hemorrhage was seen in one patient, which occurred three hours after the placement of the stent. In one case the placed stent fell off and immigrated into the siphon of internal carotid artery, and the displaced stent was took out later with a catching apparatus. In another case re-stenosis occurred six months after the stenting. Conclusion: Percutaneous endovascular stent angioplasty is a safe and effective treatment for symptomatic stenosis of middle cerebral artery, although its long-term results need to be further evaluated. (authors)

Long-term results after carotid artery stenting. Restenosis after carotid artery stenting using self-expandable stent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Yasushi; Furui, Eisuke; Tsuboi, Ken; Takahashi, Akira; Ezura, Masayuki

2008-01-01

Carotid artery stenting has emerged as an acceptable treatment alternative in patients with carotid artery stenosis. Although early clinical results of carotid artery stenting have shown promise, long, term clinical results remain less certain. We report the frequency, management, and clinical results of in-stent restenosis after carotid artery stenting using a self-expandable stent. Between August 1998 and September 2004, 80 carotid artery stenting procedures in 78 patients were performed. We evaluated 76 of the 80 procedures in 75 of the 78 patients treated during this period who had a minimum 6-month clinical and imaging (ultrasound and/or magnetic resonance angiography) follow-up. Recurrent stenosis (≥50%) after carotid artery stenting occurred in 3 (3.9%) patients. The recurrent stenosis occurred within one year after the procedure in all cases. The low rate of in-stent restenosis using self-expandable stent suggested that carotid artery stenting may be an effective alternative treatment for carotid artery stenosis, but more data of long-term follow-up are required. (author)

Measurement and analysis of geometric parameters of human carotid bifurcation using image post-processing technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xue Yunjing; Gao Peiyi; Lin Yan

2008-01-01

Objective: To investigate variation in the carotid bifurcation geometry of adults of different age by MR angiography images combining image post-processing technique. Methods: Images of the carotid bifurcations of 27 young adults (≤40 years old) and 30 older subjects ( > 40 years old) were acquired via contrast-enhanced MR angiography. Three dimensional (3D) geometries of the bifurcations were reconstructed and geometric parameters were measured by post-processing technique. Results: The geometric parameters of the young versus older groups were as follows: bifurcation angle (70.268 degree± 16.050 degree versus 58.857 degree±13.294 degree), ICA angle (36.893 degree±11.837 degree versus 30.275 degree±9.533 degree), ICA planarity (6.453 degree ± 5.009 degree versus 6.263 degree ±4.250 degree), CCA tortuosity (0.023±0.011 versus 0.014± 0.005), ICA tortuosity (0.070±0.042 versus 0.046±0.022), ICA/CCA diameter ratio (0.693± 0.132 versus 0.728±0.106), ECA/CCA diameter ratio (0.750±0.123 versus 0.809±0.122), ECA/ ICA diameter ratio (1.103±0.201 versus 1.127±0.195), bifurcation area ratio (1.057±0.281 versus 1.291±0.252). There was significant statistical difference between young group and older group in-bifurcation angle, ICA angle, CCA tortuosity, ICA tortuosity, ECA/CCA and bifurcation area ratio (F= 17.16, 11.74, 23.02, 13.38, 6.54, 22.80, respectively, P<0.05). Conclusions: MR angiography images combined with image post-processing technique can reconstruct 3D carotid bifurcation geometry and measure the geometric parameters of carotid bifurcation in vivo individually. It provides a new and convenient method to investigate the relationship of vascular geometry and flow condition with atherosclerotic pathological changes. (authors)

Multi-parametric ultrasound criteria for internal carotid artery disease - comparison with CT angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barlinn, Kristian; Kepplinger, Jessica; Siepmann, Timo; Pallesen, Lars-Peder; Bodechtel, Ulf; Reichmann, Heinz; Puetz, Volker; Floegel, Thomas; Kitzler, Hagen H.; Alexandrov, Andrei V.

2016-01-01

The German Society of Ultrasound in Medicine (known by its acronym DEGUM) recently proposed a novel multi-parametric ultrasound approach for comprehensive and accurate assessment of extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) steno-occlusive disease. We determined the agreement between duplex ultrasonography (DUS) interpreted by the DEGUM criteria and CT angiography (CTA) for grading of extracranial ICA steno-occlusive disease. Consecutive patients with acute cerebral ischemia underwent DUS and CTA. Internal carotid artery stenosis was graded according to the DEGUM-recommended criteria for DUS. Independent readers manually performed North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial-type measurements on axial CTA source images. Both modalities were compared using Spearman's correlation and Bland-Altman analyses. A total of 303 acute cerebral ischemia patients (mean age, 72 ± 12 years; 58 % men; median baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, 4 [interquartile range 7]) provided 593 DUS and CTA vessel pairs for comparison. There was a positive correlation between DUS and CTA (r s = 0.783, p < 0.001) with mean difference in degree of stenosis measurement of 3.57 %. Bland-Altman analysis further revealed widely varying differences (95 % limits of agreement -29.26 to 22.84) between the two modalities. Although the novel DEGUM criteria showed overall good agreement between DUS and CTA across all stenosis ranges, potential for wide incongruence with CTA underscores the need for local laboratory validation to avoid false screening results. (orig.)

Multi-parametric ultrasound criteria for internal carotid artery disease - comparison with CT angiography

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Barlinn, Kristian; Kepplinger, Jessica; Siepmann, Timo; Pallesen, Lars-Peder; Bodechtel, Ulf; Reichmann, Heinz; Puetz, Volker [Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Department of Neurology, Dresden (Germany); Floegel, Thomas [Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Department of Neurology, Dresden (Germany); Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Department of Neuroradiology, Dresden (Germany); Kitzler, Hagen H. [Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Department of Neuroradiology, Dresden (Germany); Alexandrov, Andrei V. [The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Department of Neurology, Memphis, TN (United States)

2016-09-15

The German Society of Ultrasound in Medicine (known by its acronym DEGUM) recently proposed a novel multi-parametric ultrasound approach for comprehensive and accurate assessment of extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) steno-occlusive disease. We determined the agreement between duplex ultrasonography (DUS) interpreted by the DEGUM criteria and CT angiography (CTA) for grading of extracranial ICA steno-occlusive disease. Consecutive patients with acute cerebral ischemia underwent DUS and CTA. Internal carotid artery stenosis was graded according to the DEGUM-recommended criteria for DUS. Independent readers manually performed North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial-type measurements on axial CTA source images. Both modalities were compared using Spearman's correlation and Bland-Altman analyses. A total of 303 acute cerebral ischemia patients (mean age, 72 ± 12 years; 58 % men; median baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, 4 [interquartile range 7]) provided 593 DUS and CTA vessel pairs for comparison. There was a positive correlation between DUS and CTA (r{sub s} = 0.783, p < 0.001) with mean difference in degree of stenosis measurement of 3.57 %. Bland-Altman analysis further revealed widely varying differences (95 % limits of agreement -29.26 to 22.84) between the two modalities. Although the novel DEGUM criteria showed overall good agreement between DUS and CTA across all stenosis ranges, potential for wide incongruence with CTA underscores the need for local laboratory validation to avoid false screening results. (orig.)

An assessment of the vulnerability of carotid plaques: a comparative study between intraplaque neovascularization and plaque echogenicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, Yangyang; Li, Yan; Bai, Yang; Chen, Ying; Sun, Xiaofeng; Zhu, Yingqiao; Wu, Jiang

2013-01-01

Carotid plaque echolucency as detected by Color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) has been used as a potential marker of plaque vulnerability. However, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has recently been shown to be a valuable method to evaluate the vulnerability and neovascularization within carotid atherosclerotic plaques. The aim of this study was to compare CEUS and CDUS in the assessment of plaque vulnerability using transcranial color Doppler (TCD) monitoring of microembolic signals (MES) as a reference technique. A total of 46 subjects with arterial stenosis (≥ 50%) underwent a carotid duplex ultrasound, TCD monitoring of MES and CEUS (SonoVue doses of 2.0 mL) within a span of 3 days. The agreement between the CEUS, CDUS, and MES findings was assessed with a chi-square test. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Neovascularization was observed in 30 lesions (44.4%). The vascular risk factors for stroke were similar and there were no age or gender differences between the 2 groups. Using CEUS, MES were identified in 2 patients (12.5%) within class 1 (non-neovascularization) as opposed to 15 patients (50.0%) within class 2 (neovascularization) (p = 0.023). CDUS revealed no significant differences in the appearance of the MES between the 2 groups (hyperechoic and hypoechoic) (p = 0.237). This study provides preliminary evidence to suggest that intraplaque neovascularization detected by CEUS is associated with the presence of MESs, where as plaque echogenicity on traditional CDUS does not. These findings argue that CEUS may better identify high-risk plaques

Bilateral Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion, External Carotid Artery Stenosis, and Vertebral Artery Kinking: May It Be Asymptomatic?

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Fatic, Nikola; Jaffer, Usman; Ivana, Saicic; Gordana, Globarevic-Vukcevic; Markovic, Dragan; Kostic, Dusan; Davidovic, Lazar

2017-10-01

The clinical spectrum of internal carotid artery occlusion ranges from being a completely asymptomatic occlusion to a devastating stroke or death. The prevalence of asymptomatic internal carotid artery occlusion is unknown, particularly for bilateral occlusion. The distal branches of the external carotid artery anastomose with distal branches of the internal carotid artery provide important sources of collateral circulation to the brain. Stenosis of the external carotid artery with ipsilateral/bilateral internal occlusion may result in ischemic sequelae. Coiling or kinking of the vertebral artery is a rare morphological entity that is infrequently reported because it remains asymptomatic and has no clinical relevance. Currently, there is little evidence to support management strategies for this disease entity and no official recommendations for asymptomatic bilateral carotid artery occlusion. We present a case of a 62-year-old female with asymptomatic bilateral internal carotid artery occlusion, bilateral external carotid artery stenoses, and bilateral kinking of the vertebral artery at the V2 segment, who has been successfully managed conservatively for over 5 years. An individualized approach to management of patients with bilateral internal carotid artery occlusion, especially in combination with external carotid artery stenosis and elongation malformations of the vertebral artery is key to a successful strategy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Molecular imaging of atherosclerotic plaques with technetium-99m-labelled antisense oligonucleotides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin Guangming; Zhang Yongxue; Cao Wei; An Rui; Gao Zairong; Xu Wendai; Zhang Kaijun; Li Guiling; Li Shuren

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to visualise experimental atherosclerotic lesions using radiolabelled antisense oligonucleotides (ASONs). Atherosclerosis was induced in New Zealand White rabbits fed 1% cholesterol for approximately 60 days. In vivo and ex vivo imaging was performed in atherosclerotic rabbits and normal control rabbits after i.v. injection of 92.5±18.5 MBq 99m Tc-labelled ASON or 99m Tc-labelled sense oligonucleotides. Immediately after the in vivo imaging, the animals were sacrificed and ex vivo imaging of the aortic specimens was performed. Biodistribution of radiolabelled c-mycASON was evaluated in vivo in atherosclerotic rabbits. Planar imaging revealed accumulation of 99m Tc-labelled c-mycASON in atherosclerotic lesions along the artery wall. Ex vivo imaging further demonstrated that the area of activity accumulation matched the area of atherosclerotic lesions. In contrast, no atherosclerotic lesions were found in the vessel wall and no positive imaging results were obtained in animals of the control group. This molecular imaging approach has potential for non-invasive imaging of atherosclerotic plaques at an early stage. (orig.)

Atherosclerotic Plaque Destabilization in Mice: A Comparative Study.

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Helene Hartwig

Full Text Available Atherosclerosis-associated diseases are the main cause of mortality and morbidity in western societies. The progression of atherosclerosis is a dynamic process evolving from early to advanced lesions that may become rupture-prone vulnerable plaques. Acute coronary syndromes are the clinical manifestation of life-threatening thrombotic events associated with high-risk vulnerable plaques. Hyperlipidemic mouse models have been extensively used in studying the mechanisms controlling initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. However, the understanding of mechanisms leading to atherosclerotic plaque destabilization has been hampered by the lack of proper animal models mimicking this process. Although various mouse models generate atherosclerotic plaques with histological features of human advanced lesions, a consensus model to study atherosclerotic plaque destabilization is still lacking. Hence, we studied the degree and features of plaque vulnerability in different mouse models of atherosclerotic plaque destabilization and find that the model based on the placement of a shear stress modifier in combination with hypercholesterolemia represent with high incidence the most human like lesions compared to the other models.

Surgical techniques and curative effect of carotid endarterectomy for carotid artery stenosis

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Min HAN

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Objective To investigate the surgical techniques of carotid endarterectomy (CEA for treating carotid artery stenosis, in order to improve the surgical efficacy and reduce intraoperative adverse events and complications after operation. Methods Retrospective analysis was carried out on surgical data of 53 cases who were performed CEA from October 2010 to October 2013 in Department of Neurosurgery in Tianjin Huanhu Hospital. There were 39 males and 14 females, aged from 40 to 78 years old and mean age (60.34 ± 8.92 years old; the course of disease was from 2 d to 4 years. Twenty-six cases were diagnosed as right carotid stenosis, 15 cases left carotid stenosis and 12 cases double-sided carotid stenosis. Among all of those cases, 35 cases were diagnosed as moderate stenosis (30%-69%, 16 cases severe stenosis (70%-99% , and 2 cases complete occlusion. Results Among 53 patients, 50 patients underwent CEA; 2 cases underwent CEA and aneurysm clipping; one case underwent stent removal surgery and CEA because restenosis was found after carotid artery stenting (CAS. Postoperative neck CTA and fMRI showed good morphology of carotid artery, fluent blood flow and improved cerebral perfusion after operation. All of those patients were followed up for 3 to 24 months. One case died of myocardial infarction; 2 cases appeared skin numbness on the operating side of the neck, and the symptom disappeared 3 months later; one case appeared hoarseness after operation; 3 cases experienced mild transient ischemic attack (TIA and the symptom disappeared 2 months later. No case of stroke was found. Conclusions CEA is a safe and effective surgical approach to treat carotid stenosis. Correct and reasonable choices of the surgical indications and skilled surgical technique are the key to ensure the success of operation and to improve efficacy of the therapy. doi：10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2014.02.006Video: http://www.cjcnn.org/index.php/cjcnn/pages/view/v14n2a6

Association of postalimentary lipemia with atherosclerotic manifestations

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Tentor, J. [Departamento de Patologia Clínica, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP (Brazil); Nakamura, R.T. [Laboratório de Diagnóstico por Imagem, Campinas, SP (Brazil); Departamento de Radiologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP (Brazil); Gidlund, M. [Laboratório de Imunofisiopatologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Barros-Mazon, S. [Departamento de Patologia Clínica, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP (Brazil); Harada, L.M. [Laboratório de Lípides, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Zago, V.S.; Oba, J.F.; Faria, E.C. de [Departamento de Patologia Clínica, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP (Brazil)

2012-08-10

We identified different lipemic and metabolic responses after the ingestion of a standardized meal by healthy adults and related them to atherosclerotic markers. Samples from 60 normolipidemic adults were collected before and after a liquid meal (40 g fat/m{sup 2} body surface) at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h for measurements of lipids, free fatty acids (FFA), insulin, cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), autoantibodies to epitopes of oxidized LDL (oxLDL Ab), lipolytic activities, and apolipoprotein E polymorphism. Mean carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) was determined by Doppler ultrasound. The volunteers were classified into early (N = 39) and late (N = 31) triacylglycerol (TAG) responders to the test meal. Late responders showed lower HDL cholesterol concentration at fasting and in the TAG peak, lower insulin and higher FFA concentrations compared to early responders. Multivariate regression analyses showed that mean cIMT was associated with gender (male) and age in early responders and by cholesterol levels at the 6th hour in late responders. oxLDL Ab were explained by lipoprotein lipase and negatively by hepatic lipase and oxLDL Ab (fasting period) by CETP (negative) and FFA (positive). This study is the first to identify a postalimentary insulin resistance state, combined with a reduced CETP response exclusively among late responders, and the identification of the regulators of postalimentary atherogenicity. Further research is required to determine the metabolic mechanisms described in the different postalimentary phenotypes observed in this study, as well as in different pathological states, as currently investigated in our laboratory.

Association of postalimentary lipemia with atherosclerotic manifestations

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J. Tentor

2012-11-01

Full Text Available We identified different lipemic and metabolic responses after the ingestion of a standardized meal by healthy adults and related them to atherosclerotic markers. Samples from 60 normolipidemic adults were collected before and after a liquid meal (40 g fat/m² body surface at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h for measurements of lipids, free fatty acids (FFA, insulin, cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP, autoantibodies to epitopes of oxidized LDL (oxLDL Ab, lipolytic activities, and apolipoprotein E polymorphism. Mean carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT was determined by Doppler ultrasound. The volunteers were classified into early (N = 39 and late (N = 31 triacylglycerol (TAG responders to the test meal. Late responders showed lower HDL cholesterol concentration at fasting and in the TAG peak, lower insulin and higher FFA concentrations compared to early responders. Multivariate regression analyses showed that mean cIMT was associated with gender (male and age in early responders and by cholesterol levels at the 6th hour in late responders. oxLDL Ab were explained by lipoprotein lipase and negatively by hepatic lipase and oxLDL Ab (fasting period by CETP (negative and FFA (positive. This study is the first to identify a postalimentary insulin resistance state, combined with a reduced CETP response exclusively among late responders, and the identification of the regulators of postalimentary atherogenicity. Further research is required to determine the metabolic mechanisms described in the different postalimentary phenotypes observed in this study, as well as in different pathological states, as currently investigated in our laboratory.

Association of postalimentary lipemia with atherosclerotic manifestations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tentor, J.; Nakamura, R.T.; Gidlund, M.; Barros-Mazon, S.; Harada, L.M.; Zago, V.S.; Oba, J.F.; Faria, E.C. de

2012-01-01

We identified different lipemic and metabolic responses after the ingestion of a standardized meal by healthy adults and related them to atherosclerotic markers. Samples from 60 normolipidemic adults were collected before and after a liquid meal (40 g fat/m 2 body surface) at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h for measurements of lipids, free fatty acids (FFA), insulin, cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), autoantibodies to epitopes of oxidized LDL (oxLDL Ab), lipolytic activities, and apolipoprotein E polymorphism. Mean carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) was determined by Doppler ultrasound. The volunteers were classified into early (N = 39) and late (N = 31) triacylglycerol (TAG) responders to the test meal. Late responders showed lower HDL cholesterol concentration at fasting and in the TAG peak, lower insulin and higher FFA concentrations compared to early responders. Multivariate regression analyses showed that mean cIMT was associated with gender (male) and age in early responders and by cholesterol levels at the 6th hour in late responders. oxLDL Ab were explained by lipoprotein lipase and negatively by hepatic lipase and oxLDL Ab (fasting period) by CETP (negative) and FFA (positive). This study is the first to identify a postalimentary insulin resistance state, combined with a reduced CETP response exclusively among late responders, and the identification of the regulators of postalimentary atherogenicity. Further research is required to determine the metabolic mechanisms described in the different postalimentary phenotypes observed in this study, as well as in different pathological states, as currently investigated in our laboratory

Association of postalimentary lipemia with atherosclerotic manifestations.

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Tentor, J; Nakamura, R T; Gidlund, M; Barros-Mazon, S; Harada, L M; Zago, V S; Oba, J F; Faria, E C de

2012-11-01

We identified different lipemic and metabolic responses after the ingestion of a standardized meal by healthy adults and related them to atherosclerotic markers. Samples from 60 normolipidemic adults were collected before and after a liquid meal (40 g fat/m² body surface) at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h for measurements of lipids, free fatty acids (FFA), insulin, cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), autoantibodies to epitopes of oxidized LDL (oxLDL Ab), lipolytic activities, and apolipoprotein E polymorphism. Mean carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) was determined by Doppler ultrasound. The volunteers were classified into early (N = 39) and late (N = 31) triacylglycerol (TAG) responders to the test meal. Late responders showed lower HDL cholesterol concentration at fasting and in the TAG peak, lower insulin and higher FFA concentrations compared to early responders. Multivariate regression analyses showed that mean cIMT was associated with gender (male) and age in early responders and by cholesterol levels at the 6th hour in late responders. oxLDL Ab were explained by lipoprotein lipase and negatively by hepatic lipase and oxLDL Ab (fasting period) by CETP (negative) and FFA (positive). This study is the first to identify a postalimentary insulin resistance state, combined with a reduced CETP response exclusively among late responders, and the identification of the regulators of postalimentary atherogenicity. Further research is required to determine the metabolic mechanisms described in the different postalimentary phenotypes observed in this study, as well as in different pathological states, as currently investigated in our laboratory.

[Ultrasonographic evaluation of selected parameters of the endothelial function in brachial arteries and IMT measurements in carotid arteries in children with diabetes type 1 using personal insulin pumps--preliminary report].

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Tołwińska, Joanna; Głowińska-Olszewska, Barbara; Urban, Mirosława; Florys, Bozena; Peczyńska, Jadwiga

2006-01-01

Type 1 diabetes is a known risk factor for arterial atherosclerosis. The first symptoms can be found even in childhood. The ultrasonographic measurements of intimal plus medial thickness in carotid arteries (IMT) and flow mediated dilatation (FMD) evaluated in brachial arteries, play a known role in the detection in these cases. The diabetes treatment intensification is an important factor in delaying early atherosclerotic changes. Currently, intensive treatment of children's diabetes with use of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion with personal insulin pumps is gaining more and more popularity. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY was the evaluation of IMT and FMD indexes in children suffering from type 1 diabetes in the context of treatment intensification (multidose insulin injections v. personal insulin pumps). We examined 64 children (29 boys and 35 girls) in the mean age 15.5 years treated with the multidose insulin injections method and 10 children using personal insulin pumps (4 girls and 6 boys) in the mean age 14.5 years. Using high resolution ultrasonography we evaluated IMT values in carotid arteries and FMD parameters in brachial arteries. In our analysis we estimated the blood concentration of lipid parameters, values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, the age of diabetes onset, duration time of the illness and the values of HbA1c as a marker of metabolic control. We noticed significantly higher FMD values in patients treated with personal insulin pumps (13.7 vs. 5.5%, p=0.001). IMT values were similar in both groups (0.52 vs. 0.5 mm, p=0. 41). The level of HDL cholesterol was higher and triglycerides lower in the group with treatment intensification. The metabolic control was the same in both groups. In patients treated by the multidose insulin injections IMT correlated with systolic blood pressure values. We didn't notice any correlation between IMT and FMD in any group. 1. Treatment intensification (personal insulin pumps) influences better vascular

Oral microbiota in patients with atherosclerosis.

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Fåk, Frida; Tremaroli, Valentina; Bergström, Göran; Bäckhed, Fredrik

2015-12-01

Recent evidence suggests that the microbiota may be considered as an environmental factor that contributes to the development of atherosclerosis. Periodontal disease has been associated with cardio- and cerebrovascular events, and inflammation in the periodontium is suggested to increase the systemic inflammatory level of the host, which may in turn influence plaque composition and rupture. We previously showed that bacteria from the oral cavity and the gut could be found in atherosclerotic plaques. To elucidate whether the oral microbiota composition differed between patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic atherosclerosis we performed pyrosequencing of the oral microbiota of 92 individuals including patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic atherosclerosis and control individuals without carotid plaques or previous stroke or myocardial infarction. The overall microbial structure was similar in controls and atherosclerosis patients, but patients with symptomatic atherosclerosis had higher relative abundance of Anaeroglobus (mean 0.040% (SD 0.049)) than the control group (0.010% (SD 0.028)) (P = 0.03). Using linear regression analysis, we found that Parvimonas associated positively with uCRP and Capnocytophaga, Catonella and Lactobacillus associated with blood lipid markers. In conclusion, abundance of Anaeroglobus in the oral cavity could be associated with symptomatic atherosclerosis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Carotid artery disease progression and related neurologic events after carotid endarterectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Avgerinos, Efthymios D; Go, Catherine; Ling, Jennifer; Naddaf, Abdallah; Steinmetz, Amy; Abou Ali, Adham N; Makaroun, Michel S; Chaer, Rabih A

2016-08-01

During the last decade, there has been a dramatic improvement in best medical treatment for patients with vascular disease. Yet, there is a paucity of contemporary long-term data for restenosis and contralateral internal carotid artery (ICA) progression. This study assessed ipsilateral and contralateral disease progression and cerebrovascular events after carotid endarterectomy (CEA). A consecutive cohort of CEAs between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2010, was retrospectively analyzed. End points were restenosis ≥50% and ≥70%, contralateral carotid disease progression (50%-69%, 70%-99%, or occlusion) and stroke. Survival analysis and Cox regression models were used to assess the effect of baseline predictors. During the 11-year study period, 1639 patients underwent 1782 CEAs (50.0% patch closure, 23.9% primary closure, 26.1% eversion, and 2.5% combined with coronary artery bypass grafting). The combined stroke/death rate was 2.6% overall and 1.8% in the asymptomatic cohort. The rate of restenosis ≥50% at 2, 5, and 10 years was 8.5%, 15.6%, 27.2%, and the rate for restenosis ≥70% was 3.4%, 6.5%, 10.2%, respectively. Restenosis ≥50% was predicted by hypertension (hazard ratio [HR], 2.09; P = .027), female gender (HR, 1.43; P = .042), and younger age (≤65 years; HR, 1.56; P = .016), but not by statins, surgical technique, symptoms, or other baseline risk factors. Restenoses remained asymptomatic in 125 of 148 (84.5%). Progression of contralateral ICA disease at 2, 5, and 10 years was estimated at 5.4%, 15.5%, and 46.8%, respectively. Contralateral progression was only predicted by smoking (HR, 1.74; P = .008). The stroke rate in patients with disease progression of the contralateral ICA was not different compared with those without progression (7.0% vs 3.3%; P = .063). Any-stroke rates at 2, 5, and 10 years were 4.6%, 7.3%, and 15.7%, respectively. Predictors were symptomatic lesion (HR, 1.48; P = .039), renal insufficiency, defined as a

Effects of neck radiation therapy on extra-cranial carotid arteries atherosclerosis disease prevalence: systematic review and a meta-analysis.

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Khalid Bashar

Full Text Available Radiation arteritis following neck irradiation as a treatment for head and neck malignancy has been well documented. The long-term sequelae of radiation exposure of the carotid arteries may take years to manifest clinically, and extra-cranial carotid artery (ECCA stenosis is a well-recognised vascular complication. These carotid lesions should not be regarded as benign and should be treated in the same manner as standard carotid stenosis. Previous studies have noted increased cerebrovascular events such as stroke in this cohort of patients because of high-grade symptomatic carotid stenosis resulting in emboli.To evaluate the effect of radiation therapy on ECCA atherosclerosis progression.Online search for case-control studies and randomised clinical trials that reported on stenosis in extra-cranial carotid arteries in patients with neck malignancies who received radiation therapy (RT comparing them to patients with neck malignancies who did not receive RT.Eight studies were included in the final analysis with total of 1070 patients - 596 received RT compared to 474 in the control group. There was statistically significant difference in overall stenosis rate (Pooled risk ratio  =  4.38 [2.98, 6.45], P  =  0.00001 and severe stenosis (Pooled risk ratio  =  7.51 [2.78, 20.32], P <0.0001, both being higher in the RT group. Pooled analysis of the five studies that reported on mild stenosis also showed significant difference (Pooled risk ratio  =  2.74 [1.75, 4.30], 95% CI, P  =  0.0001.The incidence of severe ECCA stenosis is higher among patients who received RT for neck malignancies. Those patients should be closely monitored and screening programs should be considered in all patients who receive neck RT.

Radioiodine labelled SP-4 as an imaging agent for atherosclerotic plaques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yongxue; Wu Zhijian; Cao Wei

2000-01-01

The clinical prospect of radioiodinated SP-4 as an atherosclerotic plaque imaging agent was studied. The SP-4 was synthesized by a solid phase method and identified by an amino acid analysis after purification with HPLC. SP-4 was labelled with 131 I and 125 I by the Chloramine-T method and purified through Sephadex G-25 column. Twelve New Zealand rabbits were divided into an atherosclerotic group (n = 7, AR) and a control group (n = 5, NR). All of the atherosclerotic rabbits were intravenous administrated with bovine serum albumin, then feb with high cholesterol and fat diet. 125 I-SP-4 was intravenous administrated to the rabbits of both groups. The biodistribution of 125 I-SP-4 in rabbits was investigated. The uptakes (% ID/g) in blood and thoracic aorta and abdominal aorta were calculated 4 hours postinjection. Macro-autoradiography and micro-autoradiography were performed in 2 AR atherosclerotic abdominal aortas. The clearance of radioactivity from plasma was very rapid. 125 I-SP-4 was mainly excreted through kidneys. The radioactive uptakes of abdominal aorta and thoracic aorta of AR at 4 hours postinjection were significantly higher than that of NR. The films of macro-autoradiography showed focal accumulation of the radioactivity in the areas of a newly formed edges of atherosclerotic plaques. On the slices of micro-autoradiography, the obvious radioactive accumulation could be found in the atherosclerotic plaques. Thus it was seen that the SP-4 remained its biological activity after radioiodination and was located at atherosclerotic lesions, it is potentially useful as an atherosclerotic plaque imaging agent

Electrical impedance of layered atherosclerotic plaques on human aortas

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C.J. Slager (Cornelis); A.C. Phaff; C.E. Essed; N. Bom (Klaas); J.C.H. Schuurbiers (Johan); P.W.J.C. Serruys (Patrick)

1992-01-01

textabstractElectrical impedance measurements were performed on 13 atherosclerotic human aortic segments at 67 measuring spots in order to determine whether or not on the basis of these data a distinction can be made between atherosclerotic lesions and normal tissue. Stenosis localization and

Macrophage antioxidant protection within atherosclerotic plaques.

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Gieseg, Steven P; Leake, David S; Flavall, Elizabeth M; Amit, Zunika; Reid, Linzi; Yang, Ya-Ting

2009-01-01

Macrophage cells within inflammatory lesions are exposed to a wide range of degrading and cytotoxic molecules including reactive oxygen species. Unlike neutrophils, macrophages do not normally die in this environment but continue to generate oxidants, phagocytose cellular remains, and release a range of cyto-active agents which modulate the immune response. It is this potential of the macrophage cell to survive in an oxidative environment that allows the growth and complexity of advanced atherosclerotic plaques. This review will examine the oxidants encountered by macrophages within an atherosclerotic plaque and describe some of the potential antioxidant mechanisms which enable macrophages to function within inflammatory lesions. Ascorbate, a-tocopherol, and glutathione appear to be central to the protection of macrophages yet additional antioxidant mechanisms appear to be involved. Gamma-Interferon causes macrophages to generate 7,8-dihydroneopterin, neopterin and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid both of which have antioxidant properties. Manganese superoxide dismutase is also upregulated in macrophages. The evidence that these antioxidants provide further protection, so allowing the macrophage cells to survive within sites of chronic inflammation such as atherosclerotic plaques, will be described.

External carotid compression: a novel technique to improve cerebral perfusion during selective antegrade cerebral perfusion for aortic arch surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Grocott, Hilary P; Ambrose, Emma; Moon, Mike

2016-10-01

Selective antegrade cerebral perfusion (SACP) involving cannulation of either the axillary or innominate artery is a commonly used technique for maintaining cerebral blood flow (CBF) during the use of hypothermic cardiac arrest (HCA) for operations on the aortic arch. Nevertheless, asymmetrical CBF with hypoperfusion of the left cerebral hemisphere is a common occurrence during SACP. The purpose of this report is to describe an adjunctive maneuver to improve left hemispheric CBF during SACP by applying extrinsic compression to the left carotid artery. A 77-yr-old male patient with a history of aortic valve replacement presented for emergent surgical repair of an acute type A aortic dissection of a previously known ascending aortic aneurysm. His intraoperative course included cannulation of the right axillary artery, which was used as the aortic inflow during cardiopulmonary bypass and also allowed for subsequent SACP during HCA. After the onset of HCA, the innominate artery was clamped at its origin to allow for SACP. Shortly thereafter, however, the left-sided cerebral oxygen saturation (SrO2) began to decrease. Augmenting the PaO2, PaCO2 and both SACP pressure and flow failed to increase left hemispheric SrO2. Following the use of ultrasound guidance to confirm the absence of atherosclerotic disease in the carotid artery, external pressure was applied partially compressing the artery. With the carotid compression, the left cerebral saturation abruptly increased, suggesting pressurization of the left cerebral hemispheric circulation and augmentation of CBF. Direct ultrasound visualization and cautious partial compression of the left carotid artery may address asymmetrical CBF that occurs with SACP during HCA for aortic arch surgery. This strategy may lead to improved symmetry of CBF and corresponding cerebral oximetry measurements during aortic arch surgery.

Endovascular management of dural carotid-cavernous sinus fistulas in 141 patients

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Kirsch, M. [Alfried Krupp Krankenhaus, Klinik fuer Radiologie und Neuroradiologie, Essen (Germany); Universitaetsklinikum Greifswald, Institut fuer Diagnostische Radiologie und Neuroradiologie, Greifswald (Germany); Henkes, H.; Liebig, T.; Weber, W.; Golik, S.; Kuehne, D. [Alfried Krupp Krankenhaus, Klinik fuer Radiologie und Neuroradiologie, Essen (Germany); Esser, J. [Universitaetsklinikum Essen, Zentrum fuer Augenheilkunde, Essen (Germany)

2006-07-15

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the single-centre experience with transvenous coil treatment of dural carotid-cavernous sinus fistulas. Methods: Between November 1991 and December 2005, a total of 141 patients (112 female) with dural carotid-cavernous sinus fistula underwent 161 transvenous treatment sessions. The patient files and angiograms were analysed retrospectively. Clinical signs and symptoms included chemosis (94%), exophthalmos (87%), cranial nerve palsy (54%), increased intraocular pressure (60%), diplopia (51%), and impaired vision (28%). Angiography revealed in addition cortical drainage in 34% of the patients. Partial arterial embolization was carried out in 23% of the patients. Transvenous treatment comprised in by far the majority of patients complete filling of the cavernous sinus and the adjacent segment of the superior and inferior ophthalmic vein with detachable coils. Complete interruption of the arteriovenous shunt was achieved in 81% of the patients. A minor residual shunt (without cortical or ocular drainage) remained in 13%, a significant residual shunt (with cortical or ocular drainage) remained in 4%, and the attempted treatment failed in 2%. There was a tendency for ocular pressure-related symptoms to resolve rapidly, while cranial nerve palsy and diplopia improved slowly (65%) or did not change (11%). The 39 patients with visual impairment recovered within the first 2 weeks after endovascular treatment. After complete interruption of the arteriovenous shunt, no recurrence was observed. The transvenous coil occlusion of the superior and inferior ophthalmic veins and the cavernous sinus of the symptomatic eye is a highly efficient and safe treatment in dural carotid-cavernous sinus fistulas. In the majority of patients a significant and permanent improvement in clinical signs and symptoms can be achieved. (orig.)

Triglycerides and carotid intima-media thickness in ischemic stroke patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Batluk, Jana; Leonards, Christopher O; Grittner, Ulrike; Lange, Kristin Sophie; Schreiber, Stephan J; Endres, Matthias; Ebinger, Martin

2015-11-01

Common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) is an established marker for atherosclerosis. The role of triglycerides in CCA-IMT remains controversial. We sought to determine if elevated fasting and post-challenge triglycerides are associated with CCA-IMT. All acute ischemic stroke patients who participated in the Berlin "Cream & Sugar" study in the Charité Virchow and Charité Mitte Campuses between January 2009 and January 2014 and underwent carotid artery ultrasound studies were eligible for inclusion. A combined oral glucose and triglyceride tolerance test was performed 3-7 days after first ever ischemic stroke. Patients were classified according to triglyceride metabolism-namely, (1) patients reaching a maximum triglyceride levels 3 h post-challenge ("fast metabolizers," n = 37), (2) patients with increasing triglycerides 4 (medium metabolizers, n = 64), and (3) 5 h post-challenge ("slow metabolizers," n = 44; 13 missing). We included 158 patients (34% female; mean age 63 years, SD 14). Absolute non-fasting triglyceride levels were positively associated with CCA-IMT. A final multiple regression model revealed that older age, more severe strokes, and higher levels of fasting triglycerides were significantly and independently associated with higher mean CCA-IMT. Older age, higher waist-to-hip ratio, and higher levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone were independently associated with higher maximum CCA-IMT. Fasting triglycerides but not post-challenge triglycerides associate with CCA-IMT. An oral fat challenge may not add information on atherosclerotic status in ischemic stroke patients. The Berlin "Cream & Sugar" study is registered with EudraCT (2009-010356-97) and clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 01378468). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Iron-Deficiency Anemia Leading to Transient Ischemic Attacks due to Intraluminal Carotid Artery Thrombus

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H. Z. Batur Caglayan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Reactive thrombocytosis secondary to iron-deficiency anemia (IDA is a rare but recognized cause of stroke. We report the case of a patient with iron-deficiency anemia presenting with multiple transient ischemic attacks (TIA due to intraluminal thrombus of an internal carotid artery. The putative mechanisms underlying anemia and stroke syndromes are not completely understood, and it is believed that iron deficiency may cause ischemic stroke by several potential mechanisms. Thrombocytosis is often associated with iron deficiency, and microcytosis produces a reduction in the red cell deformability and could produce a hypercoagulable state. The platelet count and function observed in iron-deficiency anemia could act synergistically to promote thrombus formation, especially in the setting of an underlying atherosclerotic disease. The presence of floating thrombus in a patient with clinical and MRI evidence of stroke represents a significant therapeutic dilemma and requires immediate decision about treatment.

Presentation of a glomus carotid tumor as carotid sinus syndrome with syncopal episodes

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Dickschas, A.; Harmann, B.; Herzog, T.; Marienhagen, J.

1987-01-01

An 80 year old patient was referred to neurology for clarification of her episodes of syncope. A set of radiological examinations indicated a diagnosis of paraganglion of the left carotid bifurcation. Using this case, an attempt is made to provide recommendations concerning the order of step-wise visualization techniques of clarifying glomus carotid tumors. This unusual case also provides an impetus for considering the physiology and pathogenesis of different forms of carotid sinus syndrome. (orig.) [de

The Protective Effect of Apamin on LPS/Fat-Induced Atherosclerotic Mice

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Soo-Jung Kim

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Apamin, a peptide component of bee venom (BV, has anti-inflammatory properties. However, the molecular mechanisms by which apamin prevents atherosclerosis are not fully understood. We examined the effect of apamin on atherosclerotic mice. Atherosclerotic mice received intraperitoneal (ip injections of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 2 mg/kg to induce atherosclerotic change and were fed an atherogenic diet for 12 weeks. Apamin (0.05 mg/kg was administered by ip injection. LPS-induced THP-1-derived macrophage inflammation treated with apamin reduced expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α, vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1, and intracellular cell adhesion molecule (ICAM-1, as well as the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB signaling pathway. Apamin decreased the formation of atherosclerotic lesions as assessed by hematoxylin and elastic staining. Treatment with apamin reduced lipids, Ca2+ levels, and TNF-α in the serum from atherosclerotic mice. Further, apamin significantly attenuated expression of VCAM-1, ICAM-1, TGF-β1, and fibronectin in the descending aorta from atherosclerotic mice. These results indicate that apamin plays an important role in monocyte/macrophage inflammatory processing and may be of potential value for preventing atherosclerosis.

Early control of distal internal carotid artery during carotid endarterectomy: does it reduce cerebral microemboli?

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Mommertz, G; Das, M; Langer, S; Koeppel, T A; Krings, T; Mess, W H; Schiefer, J; Jacobs, M J

2010-06-01

According to the results of the large trials on carotid endarterectomy (CEA), this type of surgery is only warranted if perioperative mortality and morbidity are kept considerably low. Less attention has been paid to methods of cerebral protection during CEA, although intraoperative transcranial Doppler (TCD) can visualise intracerebral microemboli (MES) during routine carotid dissection, although MES occur throughout the CEA, only those during dissection are related to neurological outcome. Prevention of MES by means of early control of the distal internal carotid artery dislodging from the carotid artery plaque during dissection is very likely the mechanism behind an eventual benefit from this approach. Hence, the amount of MES might serve as a surrogate parameter for the risk of periprocedural neurological events. So, the aim of the present study was to evaluate whether early control of the distal carotid artery during CEA is capable of reducing the number of MES by means of a prospective randomised trial. Twenty-eight patients (29 procedures) could be prospectively included in our study. Before surgery we randomly assigned the patients to two groups: group A (N.=12): CEA by means of early control of the distal internal carotid artery; group B (N.=17): CEA with dissection of the total carotid bifurcation before clamping the arteries. Periprocedurally, we continuously monitored the cerebral blood flow in the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery by means of TCD. Pre- and postoperative morbidity were independently verified by a neurologist control of the distal internal carotid artery did not reduce the occurrence of MES during dissection of the carotid bifurcation. Also, the total number of MES throughout the procedure and postoperatively was comparable between both groups. The procedure related times as well as the clinical outcome did not differ significantly. Thus, early control of the distal internal carotid artery has got no advantage but also no disadvantage

Carotid Angioplasty and Stenting

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Carotid angioplasty and stenting Overview Carotid angioplasty (kuh-ROT-id AN-jee-o-plas-tee) and stenting ... to better see and examine the blood vessels. Food and medications You'll receive instructions on what ...

Angioplasty and stent placement - carotid artery

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... medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002953.htm Angioplasty and stent placement - carotid artery To use the sharing features ... to remove plaque buildup ( endarterectomy ) Carotid angioplasty with stent placement Description Carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) is ...

[Risk factors of rupture of internal carotid artery during surgical resection of carotid body tumor].

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Li, Y H; Wang, J S; Yao, C; Chang, G Q; Yin, H H; Li, S Q; Lü, W M; Hu, Z J; Wang, S M

2017-06-13

Objective: To investigate risk factors of rupture of internal carotid artery resection during carotid body tumor resection and to summarize our treatment experience. Methods: During the period from 1991 to 2016, rupture of internal carotid artery occurred in 27 patients (28 tumors) during surgical resection of carotid body tumor in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Their clinical and follow-up data were retrospectively collected and analyzed. For all patients underwent surgical resection during this period, Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors of intraoperative rupture of internal carotid artery. Results: Of these 28 tumors, there were 15 (53.6%) tumors with diameter≥5 cm and 20 (71.4%) Shamblin Ⅲ tumors. Intraoperatively, shunt was applied for 8 (28.6%) cases. Thirteen (46.4%) patients underwent ligation of external carotid artery, while 2 (7.1%) patients accepted resection of cranial nerves. Direct closure/patchplasty, autologous vessels or graft reconstruction was used in 16, 10 and 2 cases, respectively. Postoperatively, stroke occurred in 4(14.3%) cases and cranial nerve deficit in 15 (53.6%) cases. During a median length of 36 (14-125) months, cranial nerve deficit persisted in 5 cases. Follow-up radiologic examination indicated 3 (10.7%) cases of targeted vessel occlusion. However, no new-onset stroke was identified. Among all patients underwent surgical resection of carotid body tumor, female ( OR =3.650, P =0.012), age≤25 years old ( OR =3.710, P =0.013) and Shamblin Ⅲ tumor ( OR =4.631, P =0.008) increase the risks of intraoperative carotid artery rupture. Conclusions: Shamblin Ⅲ tumor is the predictor of rupture of internal carotid artery. Intraoperative, properly increased blood pressure, intraoperative heparinization and use of shunt for those cases without well-compensated cranial collateral arteries are likely to decreasing the incidence of stroke.

Continuous Blood Glucose Monitoring May Detect Carotid Occlusion Intolerance during Carotid Artery Stenting.

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Hiramatsu, Ryo; Furuse, Motomasa; Yagi, Ryokichi; Ohmura, Tomohisa; Ohnishi, Hiroyuki; Ikeda, Naokado; Nonoguchi, Naosuke; Kawabata, Shinji; Miyachi, Shigeru; Kuroiwa, Toshihiko

2018-02-05

The frequency of the occurrence of adverse events associated with carotid artery stenting (CAS) is usually low, but serious adverse events such as cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS) may occur. Real-time monitoring is ideal for the early detection of adverse events during the surgical procedure. This study aimed to evaluate continuous blood glucose (BG) monitoring for the detection of adverse events during CAS. Forty patients undergoing scheduled CAS were prospectively enrolled. An artificial pancreas was used for continuous BG monitoring (once per minute), using venous blood extracted at a rate of 2 mL/hr during CAS. The primary endpoint was a correlation between BG change and adverse events. CAS was discontinued in 1 patient, and BG was not measured in 5 patients (12.5%) because of the inability to extract blood. Among 34 evaluable patients, no patient developed CHS, but 3 patients (9%) experienced carotid occlusion intolerance. During CAS, BG was significantly higher in patients with carotid occlusion intolerance (median: 5 mg/dL) than in patients without carotid occlusion intolerance (median: 0 mg/dL) (P = 0.0221). A cutoff BG value ≥4 mg/dL during CAS showed 50% sensitivity and 100% specificity for the detection of carotid occlusion intolerance. There was no significant correlation between BG change and other adverse events. BG elevation may help detect carotid occlusion intolerance although it is still unknown whether BG monitoring can detect CHS. Further studies should validate that a cutoff BG elevation value of ≥4 mg/dL during CAS indicates carotid occlusion intolerance. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Carotid Velocities Determine Cerebral Blood Flow Deficits in Elderly Men with Carotid Stenosis <50%

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Arkadiusz Siennicki-Lantz

2012-01-01

Full Text Available To examine if mild carotid stenosis correlates with silent vascular brain changes, we studied a prospective population-based cohort “Men born in 1914.” Data from followups at ages 68 and 81, have been used. Carotid ultrasound was performed at age 81, and cerebral blood flow (CBF was measured with SPECT at age 82. Out of 123 stroke-free patients, carotid stenosis <50% was observed in 94% in the right and 89% in the left internal carotid arteries (ICAs. In these subjects, Peak Systolic Velocities in ICA correlated negatively with CBF in a majority of several brain areas, especially in mesial temporal area. Results were limited to normotensive until their seventies, who developed late-onset hypertension with a subsequent blood pressure, pulse pressure, and ankle-brachial index growth. Elderly with asymptomatic carotid stenosis <50% and peak systolic velocities in ICA 0.7–1.3 m/s, should be offered an intensified pharmacotherapy to prevent stroke or silent cerebrovascular events.

Carotid artery stenting in high surgical risk patients using the FiberNet embolic protection system: the EPIC trial results.

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Myla, Subbarao; Bacharach, J Michael; Ansel, Gary M; Dippel, Eric J; McCormick, Daniel J; Popma, Jeffrey J

2010-05-01

The multicenter EPIC (FiberNet Embolic Protection System in Carotid Artery Stenting Trial) single-arm trial evaluated the 30-day outcomes of a new design concept for embolic protection during carotid artery stenting (CAS). Embolic protection filters available for use during CAS include fixed and over-the-wire systems that rely on embolic material capture within a "basket" structure. The FiberNet Embolic Protection System (EPS), which features a very low crossing profile, consists of a three-dimensional fiber-based filter distally mounted on a 0.014 inch guidewire with integrated aspiration during filter retrieval. The trial enrolled 237 patients from 26 centers. Demographics, clinical and lesion characteristics, as well as adverse events through a 30-day follow-up were recorded. The mean age of the patients was 74 years, 64% were male and 20% had symptomatic carotid artery disease. The combined major adverse event (MAE) rate at 30 days for all death, stroke, and myocardial infarction was 3.0%. There were three major strokes (two ischemic and one hemorrhagic) and two minor strokes (both ischemic) for a 2.1% 30-day stroke rate. The procedural technical success rate was 97.5% and macroscopic evidence of debris was reported in 90.9% of the procedures. The FiberNet EPS, used with commercially available stents, produced low stroke rates following CAS in high surgical risk patients presenting with carotid artery disease. The unique filter design including aspiration during retrieval may have contributed to the low 30-day stroke rate reported during CAS in patients considered at high risk for complications following carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Copyright 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Comprehensive low-dose imaging of carotid and coronary arteries with a single-injection dual-source CT angiography protocol.

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Tognolini, A; Arellano, C S; Marfori, W; Heidari, G; Sayre, J W; Krishnam, M S; Ruehm, S G

2014-03-01

To assess the feasibility of a fast single-bolus combined carotid and coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) protocol in asymptomatic patients. Thirty-three consecutive patients (18 women and 15 men) with a median age of 61 ± 14 years old (range 37-87 years) with known or suspected atherosclerotic disease were enrolled in this prospective study. A single breath-hold, single biphasic injection protocol (50 ml at 3 ml/s, 50 ml at 5 ml/s, 50 ml saline flush at 5 ml/s) was used for combined CTA imaging of the supra-aortic (SAA) and coronary arteries (CA) on a 64-slice dual-source CT (DSCT) machine. Helical CTA acquisition of the SAA was followed by prospective electrocardiography (ECG)-triggered coronary CTA. Subjective (four-point scale) image quality and objective signal-to-noise (SNR) and contrast-to-noise (CNR) measurements were performed. Vascular disease was graded on a four-point scale (grade 1: absent; grade 2: mild, grade 3: moderate; grade 4: severe). The radiation dose was recorded for each patient. The average enhancement and subjective quality score of SAA and CA segments were 396 HU/358 HU and 1.2 ± 0.3/1.72 ± 0.4, respectively. The SNR was 27.1 ± 1.7 in the SAA and 21.6 ± 1.6 in the CA (p grade 2 and 1/33 (3%) had grade 3 disease. CA findings were as follows: 25/33 (76%) showed no disease and 6/33 (18%) patients had grade 2 and 2/33 (6%) had grade 3 disease. Five patients had disease in both districts. The average radiation dose for the combined CTA angiogram was 4.3 ± 0.6 mSv. A fast, low-dose combined DSCT angiography protocol appears technically feasible for imaging carotid and coronary atherosclerotic disease. Copyright © 2013 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.