title: Positive remodeling is associated with vulnerable coronary plaque components regardless of clinical presentation: virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We used virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) to evaluate the relation between coronary artery remodeling pattern and plaque components in 1133 patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We divided the patients into two groups according to the remodeling pattern as positive remodeling (PR, remodeling index>1.05) (n=192) and intermediate remodeling (IR, remodeling index ≤ 1.05 and ≥ 0.95)/negative remodeling (NR, remodeling index<0.95) (n=941). VH-IVUS analysis classified the color-coded tissue into four major components: green (fibrotic, FT); yellow-green (fibro-fatty); white (dense calcium); and red (necrotic core, NC). Thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) was defined as focal, NC-rich (≥ 10% of the cross-sectional area) plaques being in contact with the lumen in a plaque burden ≥ 40%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the minimum lumen site, PR group had greater plaque plus media area (12.8 ± 4.9 vs. 9.9 ± 3.8mm(2), p<0.001) and greater %NC area (21.7 ± 12.3 vs. 18.2 ± 11.6%, p<0.001) and smaller %FT area (57.0 ± 14.5 vs. 59.4 ± 14.6%, p=0.037) compared with IR/NR group. PR group had greater plaque volume (188 ± 150 vs. 135 ± 130 mm(3), p<0.001) and greater %NC volume (19.1 ± 9.6 vs. 16.6 ± 9.2%, p=0.001) and smaller %FT volume (58.3 ± 11.7 vs. 60.6 ± 11.0%, p=0.009) compared with IR/NR group. PR group had more TCFA compared with IR/NR group (21% vs. 13%, p=0.006). Similar findings about plaque components were observed in terms of greater %NC volume and smaller %FT volume in PR group compared with IR/NR group in patients with both acute coronary syndrome and stable angina.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VH-IVUS analysis demonstrates that PR was associated with more vulnerable plaque components compared with IR/NR regardless of their clinical presentation.
authors.affiliation: The Heart Center of Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea Cardiovascular Stent Research Institute, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Joon
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Myung Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Yun Ha
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jin A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Khurshid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Ki Hong
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Han
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Min Goo
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Keun Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Doo Sun
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: Nam Sik
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Hyun Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Kye Hun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyung Wook
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Ju Han
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Youngkeun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Jeong Gwan
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jong Chun
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jung Chaee
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000502:physiology