title: Impact of the low- to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio on composition of angiographically ambiguous left main coronary artery plaque.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to a high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio is associated with cardiac events, while the left main coronary artery (LMCA) is considered to be an important target of atherosclerotic plaque accumulation. This aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between a LDL-C/HDL-C ratio and the characteristics of tissue components of LMCA plaque.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One-hundred-twenty consecutive patients with stable angina pectoris who received chronic statin treatment underwent percutaneous coronary intervention for the left coronary artery. We prospectively performed integrated backscatter (IB) intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to their LMCAs and evaluated the tissue characteristics. According to the median value of their LDL-C/HDL-C ratios (2.4), they were divided into 2 groups [high LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (>2.4) (n=60) or low LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (≤ 2.4) (n=60)]. There was no significant difference in the data analyzed using conventional IVUS between the 2 groups. In the IB-IVUS analysis, patients with a high LDL-C/HDL-C ratio had a larger lipid volume and a smaller fibrous volume compared to patients with a low LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (52 ± 10% vs. 48 ± 10%, P=0.014 and 45 ± 9% vs. 50 ± 10%, P=0.010).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high LDL-C/HDL-C ratio was associated with a high percentage of lipid volume and a low percentage of fibrous volume in LMCA lesions. Our findings might well suggest the increased risk of cardiovascular events in patients with a high LDL-C/HDL-C ratio.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobutake
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kurebayashi
authors.forename: Daiji
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Bummei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Seiichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Isobe
authors.forename: Kyosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takeshita
authors.forename: Mutsuharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Tadayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uetani
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.forename: Toyoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murohara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000097:blood / Q000601:surgery; D017130:Angioplasty; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000601:surgery / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL