title: Visualization of lipid components in human coronary plaques using color fluorescence angioscopy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  If oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), LDL, lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and apolipoprotein B (apoB) can be visualized simultaneously, their roles in the initiation, progression and destabilization of atherosclerotic plaques can be objectively evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) The fluorescence characteristic of each atherogenic substance was investigated by microscopy using a band-pass filter (470 nm) and a band-absorption filter (520 nm) with homidium bromide (Ho) and trypan blue (TB) as indicators. (2) 50 excised human coronary plaques were classified by their autofluorescence into green, greenish-yellow and yellow, and the localization of oxLDL, LDL, LPC and apoB were investigated by color fluorescence angioscopy (CFA). The plaque colors were white, yellow and glistening yellow by conventional angioscopy. (1) OxLDL and LDL exhibited golden fluorescence, whereas LPC and apoB exhibited red fluorescence. (2) By CFA, 16 of 19 greenish-yellow and 1 of 8 yellow plaques exhibited red and golden fluorescence in a mosaic pattern, indicating co-deposition of oxLDL/LDL and LPC/apoB; 3 greenish-yellow and 7 yellow plaques exhibited red fluorescence, indicating solitary deposition of apoB; 23 green plaques infrequently exhibited these fluorescence colors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OxLDL/LDL and LPC/apoB were successfully visualized as co-deposited in greenish-yellow autofluorescence plaques, but only LPC/apoB in yellow autofluorescence plaques.
authors.affiliation: Japan Foundation for Cardiovascular Research, Funabashi, Chiba, Japan. uchiy@ta2.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: Yasumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Yasuto
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kameda
mesh_terms: D017546:Angioscopy / Q000379:methods*; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000032:analysis; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D003116:Color; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000032:analysis; D008244:Lysophosphatidylcholines / Q000032:analysis; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D008055:Lipids; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D008244:Lysophosphatidylcholines; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein