title: Relationship between multiple plasma biomarkers and vulnerable plaque determined by virtual histology intravascular ultrasound.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Pil
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Byoung Kwon
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jae-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Sung-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Cheol Whan
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Duk-Hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Myeong-Ki
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: 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