title: The vulnerable artery: early and rapid deposition of lipid in coronary arteries is associated with subsequent development of thin-cap fibroatheromas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to determine whether intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) could identify arteries which would subsequently develop a thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three-vessel angiography, IVUS and NIRS evaluations were performed at three, six and nine months after induction of diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolaemia in 13 Yorkshire pigs (n=37 arteries). In vivo total arterial plaque plus media (P+M) area, echo-attenuated plaque (AP) area by IVUS, and lipid core burden index (LCBI) by NIRS were compared to histology at nine months. P+M mean area increased over time (3 vs. 6 months p<0.01; 6 vs. 9 months p<0.01), as did the AP area and mean LCBI between three and six months (p<0.01). There were 69 TCFAs within 18 arteries. The mean LCBI at six months was greater in arteries containing a TCFA (77.8±17.4 vs. 34.3±11.4; p=0.04) as was the ∆LCBI from three to six months (55.3±16.9 vs. 3.3±16.0; p=0.03). Arteries which contained TCFA at nine months had greater AP area by IVUS at six months (p=0.007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The early and persistent accumulation of total arterial lipid detected by NIRS was associated with the future development of TCFAs.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Division, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Saybolt
authors.forename: Scott M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lilly
authors.forename: Dhavalkumar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Damir
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hamamdzic
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Llano
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Fenning
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Madden
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Wilensky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared / Q000379:methods; D013552:Swine; D013997:Time Factors; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids