AIMS Women and men have different clinical presentations and outcomes in coronary artery disease (CAD). We tested the hypothesis that sex differences may influence coronary atherosclerotic burden and coronary endothelial function before development of obstructive CAD. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 142 patients (53 men, 89 women; mean +/- SD age, 49.3 +/- 11.7 years) with early CAD simultaneo...

Inflammatory cells, including macrophages, in atheroma overexpress matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue factor which contribute to plaque rupture and thrombosis. Activated smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in the plaque’s fibrous cap also express MMPs and tissue factor. Lipid lowering appears to reduce the incidence of acute coronary events in patients by stabilizing atherosclerotic plaques. To...

BACKGROUND Whole body cardiovascular MR (WB CVMR) combines whole body angiography and cardiac MR assessment. It is accepted that there is a high disease burden in patients with diabetes, however the quantification of the whole body atheroma burden in both arterial and cardiac disease has not been previously reported. In this study we compare the quantified atheroma burden in those individuals w...

Despite the well-known role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in atheroma, its global local organization is poorly understood. In this study, we used transcriptomic meta-analysis to reveal the local transcriptional organization and regulation of 37 extended RAAS (extRAAS) genes in atheroma. Expression analysis and hierarchical clustering were done on extRAAS genes in 32 paired ...

SIGNIFICANCE Aortic arch (AA) atheroma and AA atheroma progression are independent risk factors for recurrent vascular events in stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients. Total homocysteine level (tHcy) is an independent risk marker for atherosclerosis including that found in AA. The purpose of this study was to prospectively test the association between AA atheroma progression and tHcy....

OBJECTIVE Atherosclerosis is the primary driver of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. Identification of naturally occurring atheroprotective genes has become a major goal for the development of interventions that will limit atheroma progression and associated adverse events. To this end, we have identified small proline-rich repeat protein (SPRR3) as selectively upreg...

BACKGROUND Intravascular ultrasound imaging was performed in 27 patients after coronary balloon angioplasty to quantify the lumen and atheroma cross-sectional areas. METHODS AND RESULTS A 20-MHz ultrasound catheter was inserted through a 1.6-mm plastic introducer sheath across the dilated area to obtain real-time images at 30 times/sec. The ultrasound images distinguished the lumen from ather...

OBJECTIVE Motexafin lutetium (Lu-Tex, Antrin Injection) is a photosensitizer that selectively accumulates in atheromatous plaque where it can be activated by far-red light. The localization and retention of intra-arterially administered Lu-Tex and its efficacy following activation by endovascularly delivered light (photoangioplasty) was evaluated. METHODS Bilateral iliac artery lesions were i...

THE purpose of the preselnt paper is to point out certain similarities in fatty plaques of the cornea aiid of blood vessels, both in manl anid ini hypercholesteremic rab)bits, and to suggest a commoim pathogenesis. The following resume is based onl a (clinieopathologic study of approximately a dozen cases of lipid plaques ill the humiiani cornea, approximately the sanme number ill the rabbit co...