title: Significance of intraplaque neovascularisation for vulnerability: optical coherence tomography study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the role of intraplaque neovascularisation (NV) in culprit lesions and non-culprit lesions of unstable angina pectoris (UAP) and in lesions of stable angina pectoris (SAP) using optical coherence tomography (OCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The significance of NV for culprit and non-culprit plaques remains unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 356 plaques from 92 UAP patients and 25 SAP patients who underwent OCT imaging were divided into three groups: culprit lesions in UAP (92), non-culprit lesions in UAP (203) and lesions of SAP (61).
  
  
  METHODS
  NV and plaque characteristics were examined by OCT and plaques with and without NV were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among UAP culprit lesions, plaques with NV had significantly higher incidence of thin cap fibroatheroma (81% vs 47%, p=0.002) compared with those without NV. In addition, the fibrous cap was thinner (56±20 μm vs 75±30 μm, p<0.001), lipid arc was greater (254±66° vs 222±65°, p=0.024) and lipid core length was longer (13±5 mm vs 10±6 mm, p=0.007). No significant difference was observed between non-culprit lesions of UAP with and without NV, and between lesions of SAP with and without NV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with UAP, the culprit plaques with NV had vulnerable features such as thinner fibrous cap, greater lipid arc, longer lipid core length and more frequent thin cap fibroatheroma compared with those without NV. In both non-culprit lesions of UAP patients and in lesions of SAP patients NV was not associated with vulnerable plaque characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Key Laboratories of Education Ministry for Myocardial Ischemia Mechanism and Treatment, Harbin 150086, PR China.
authors.forename: Jinwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Jingbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Soo-Joong
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Taishi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yonetsu
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shaosong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ik-Kyung
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Jang
mesh_terms: D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence