Cholesterol in human atherosclerotic plaque is a marker for underlying disease state and plaque vulnerability.
BACKGROUND
Cholesterol deposition in arterial wall drives atherosclerosis. The key goal of this study was to examine the relationship between plaque cholesterol content and patient characteristics that typically associate with disease state and lesion vulnerability. Quantitative assays for free cholesterol, cholesteryl ester, triglyceride, and protein markers in atherosclerotic plaque were established and applied to plaque samples from multiple patients and arterial beds (Carotid and peripheral arteries; 98 lesions in total).


RESULTS
We observed a lower cholesterol level in restenotic than primary peripheral plaque. We observed a trend toward a higher level in symptomatic than asymptomatic carotid plaque. Peripheral plaque from a group of well-managed diabetic patients displayed a weak trend of more free cholesterol deposition than plaque from non-diabetic patients. Plaque triglyceride content exhibited less difference in the same comparisons. We also measured cholesterol in multiple segments within one carotid plaque sample, and found that cholesterol content positively correlated with markers of plaque vulnerability, and negatively correlated with stability markers.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results offer important biological validation of cholesterol as a key lipid marker for plaque severity. Results also suggest cholesterol is a more sensitive plaque marker than routine histological staining for neutral lipids.
Chen
Zhu
Z
Cardiovascular Diseases, Merck Research Laboratories, 126 E. Lincoln Ave., Rahway, NJ 07065, USA. zhu_chen@merck.com
Ichetovkin
Marina
M
Kurtz
Marc
M
Zycband
Emanuel
E
Kawka
Douglas
D
Woods
John
J
He
Xuanmin
X
Plump
Andrew S
AS
Hailman
Eric
E
D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis*; D002788:Cholesterol Esters / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000032:analysis
D015415:Biomarkers; D002788:Cholesterol Esters; D011506:Proteins; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol