title: Optical coherence tomography derived differences of plaque characteristics in coronary culprit lesions between type 2 diabetic patients with and without acute coronary syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare optical coherence tomography (OCT)-derived plaque characteristics of coronary target lesions between diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) versus stable angina pectoris (SAP).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  In vivo assessment of plaque composition of coronary culprit lesions in a cardiovascular high-risk population with diabetes mellitus is incompletely elucidated.
  
  
  METHODS
  102 diabetic patients with coronary de novo lesions were enrolled and categorized into an ACS-group (40 patients) and a SAP-group (62 patients) according to their clinical presentation. Assessment of clinical data, angiographic, and OCT imaging including the analysis of plaque composition and lipid content of the target lesions were performed prior to percutaneous coronary intervention and compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plaque characteristics of patients in the ACS-group compared with the SAP-group showed a higher incidence of lipid-rich plaque [33 (82.5%) vs. 25 (40.3%)], thin-capped fibroatheroma [29 (72.5%) vs. 10 (16.1%)], macrophage infiltration [32 (80.0%) vs. 21 (33.9%)], thrombus [23 (57.5%) vs. 2 (3.2%)], and plaque rupture [27 (67.5%) vs. 2 (3.2%)] (all P < 0.001). Moreover, there was a wider lipid arc (174.5 ± 33.8° vs. 122.9 ± 43.9°), a longer lipid plaque length (6.52 ± 2.04 mm vs. 3.73 ± 2.16 mm), a greater lipid volume index (1117.2 ± 349.9 vs. 504.8 ± 379.3), and a smaller minimal fibrous cap thickness (51.52 ± 9.14 µm vs. 80.33 ± 26.71 µm) within lipid-rich lesions of ACS patients (all P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diabetic patients with ACS exhibit more vulnerable plaque features in coronary culprit lesions compared with diabetic patients with SAP. This may provide rationale for a specific therapeutic strategy either by pharmacological plaque stabilization or coronary intervention in any lesion with vulnerable plaque morphology in patients with diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Medical Clinic I, University Hospital of the RWTH Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reith
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Battermann
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Nikolaus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marx
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burgmaier
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D000368:Aged; D060050:Angina, Stable / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: fibrous cap thickness; lipid-rich plaque; vulnerable plaque