Relationship between multiple plasma biomarkers and vulnerable plaque determined by virtual histology intravascular ultrasound.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between plasma biomarkers and vulnerable plaque is not well understood.


RESULTS
The 188 patients who underwent 3-vessel virtual histology (VH) intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) with peripheral blood sampling were enrolled. Plasma levels of matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9 (MMP-2, -9), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, adiponectin, and macrophage migration inhibitory factor were measured. VH-IVUS-derived thin cap fibroatheroma (VH-TCFA) was defined as a necrotic core >10% of plaque area in the presence of >40% plaque burden. There were 38 patients with ruptured plaque and 150 patients without (107 patients with VH-TCFA, 43 patients without VH-TCFA) in culprit/target lesions. Among the biomarkers, only the MMP-9 level was significantly higher in patients with ruptured plaque (P=0.002). In the subgroup without ruptured plaque, significant differences in the levels of several biomarkers were not observed between patients with and without VH-TCFA. In both culprit/target and nonculprit/non-target vessels, the MMP-9 level showed a weak correlation with the total number of ruptured plaques (r=0.231, P=0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
Among the biomarkers tested in this study, the MMP-9 level was significantly higher in patients with ruptured plaque. However, measurement of several biomarkers, including MMP-9, was incapable of predicting the presence of VH-TCFA.
Park
Jong-Pil
JP
Department of Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Korea.
Lee
Byoung Kwon
BK
Shim
Jae-Min
JM
Kim
Sung-Hwan
SH
Lee
Cheol Whan
CW
Kang
Duk-Hyun
DH
Hong
Myeong-Ki
MK
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / Q000097:blood; D016015:Logistic Models; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000097:blood; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012421:Rupture; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000097:blood; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional; D015854:Up-Regulation
C499918:ADIPOQ protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D015415:Biomarkers; D008263:Macrophage Migration-Inhibitory Factors; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; C522361:MMP2 protein, human; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; C515598:MIF protein, human