title: Low eicosapentaenoic acid to arachidonic acid ratio is associated with thin-cap fibroatheroma determined by optical coherence tomography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A low eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)/arachidonic acid (AA) ratio is known to be associated with cardiovascular events. However, the relationship between the EPA/AA ratio and coronary plaque vulnerability assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) has not been examined thoroughly. This study examined the relationship between the EPA/AA ratio and coronary plaque vulnerability assessed by OCT in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 59 ACS patients who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention using OCT. We divided them into 2 groups according to OCT findings-those with and without thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA)-and compared the EPA/AA ratio between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 32 and 27 patients with and without TCFA, respectively. The EPA/AA ratio was significantly lower in patients with TCFA than in those without TCFA [0.35, interquartile range (0.21-0.44) vs. 0.54, interquartile range (0.42-0.70); p<0.001]. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the EPA/AA ratio was an independent predictor of TCFA (odds ratio, 0.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.007-0.99; p=0.049). The EPA/AA ratio and fibrous cap thickness showed a significant positive correlation (Spearman ρ=0.46; p<0.001). Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that an EPA/AA ratio<0.46 could predict TCFA (81.3%, sensitivity; 74.1%, specificity).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A low serum EPA/AA ratio is significantly associated with coronary plaque vulnerability assessed by OCT in ACS patients.
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Saitama Medical Center, Jichi Medical University, Saitama, Japan.
authors: Yasushi
authors: Y
authors: Wakabayashi
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Saitama Medical Center, Jichi Medical University, Saitama, Japan. Electronic address: funahiro@omiya.jichi.ac.jp.
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Funayama
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Saitama Medical Center, Jichi Medical University, Saitama, Japan.
authors: Yusuke
authors: Y
authors: Ugata
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Saitama Medical Center, Jichi Medical University, Saitama, Japan.
authors: Yosuke
authors: Y
authors: Taniguchi
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Saitama Medical Center, Jichi Medical University, Saitama, Japan.
authors: Hirotaka
authors: H
authors: Hoshino
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kitasato University Hospital, Sagamihara, Japan.
authors: Junya
authors: J
authors: Ako
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Saitama Medical Center, Jichi Medical University, Saitama, Japan.
authors: Shin-ichi
authors: S
authors: Momomura
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention / Q000379:methods; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid
keywords: Eicosapentaenoic acid; Optical coherence tomography; Thin-cap fibroatheroma