title: Molecular Imaging of Native Low-Density Lipoprotein by Near-Infrared Fluorescent Angioscopy in Human Coronary Plaques.
abstract: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is an important risk factor for coronary artery disease, but its localization within the human coronary arterial wall is poorly understood. Imaging of LDL in 30 coronary arteries excised from 15 subjects who underwent autopsy was performed using near-infrared fluorescent angioscopy system and using indocyanine green dye as a biomarker of LDL. The percentage incidence of LDL in 28 normal segments, 24 white plaques (early stage of plaque growth), and 21 yellow plaques (mature stage of plaque) classified by conventional angioscopy, was 14.2, 79.1 (p <0.01 vs normal segments and p <0.05 vs yellow plaques), and 28.5, respectively. Coronary near-infrared fluorescent angioscopy showed similar results in 7 patients in vivo. Our results suggested that LDL begins to deposit in the human coronary arterial wall in the early stage of atherosclerosis, increasingly deposits with plaque growth and decreases in the mature stage; and therefore, molecular therapy targeting LDL should be started before plaque maturation.
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Japanese Foundation for Cardiovascular Research, Funabashi, Japan. Electronic address: uchida73@ta2.so-net.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Yasumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Toho University Medical Center Sakura Hospital, Sakura, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoe
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Funabashi Futawa Hospital, Funabashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Ei
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shimoyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Tsukuba Memorial Hospital, Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuto
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchida
mesh_terms: D017546:Angioscopy / Q000379:methods*; D002102:Cadaver; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green / Q000494:pharmacology; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D007208:Indocyanine Green