title: Vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque detection by resonance Raman spectroscopy.
abstract: A clear correlation has been observed between the resonance Raman (RR) spectra of plaques in the aortic tunica intimal wall of a human corpse and three states of plaque evolution: fibrolipid plaques, calcified and ossified plaques, and vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques (VPs). These three states of atherosclerotic plaque lesions demonstrated unique RR molecular fingerprints from key molecules, rendering their spectra unique with respect to one another. The vibrational modes of lipids, cholesterol, carotenoids, tryptophan and heme proteins, the amide I, II, III bands, and methyl/methylene groups from the intrinsic atherosclerotic VPs in tissues were studied. The salient outcome of the investigation was demonstrating the correlation between RR measurements of VPs and the thickness measurements of fibrous caps on VPs using standard histopathology methods, an important metric in evaluating the stability of a VP. The RR results show that VPs undergo a structural change when their caps thin to 66 ?? ? m , very close to the 65 - ? m empirical medical definition of a thin cap fibroatheroma plaque, the most unstable type of VP.
authors.affiliation: The City College of the City University of New York, Institute of Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers, Departments of Physics and Electrical Engineering, 160 Convent Avenue, Room MR 201, New York, New York 10031-9101, United States.
authors.forename: Cheng-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: The City University of New York, Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers Street, N682, New York, New York 10007-1097, United States.
authors.forename: Susie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boydston-White
authors.affiliation: Energy Research Company, 1250 South Avenue, Plainfield, New Jersey 07062, United States.
authors.forename: Arel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weisberg
authors.affiliation: The City College of the City University of New York, Institute of Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers, Departments of Physics and Electrical Engineering, 160 Convent Avenue, Room MR 201, New York, New York 10031-9101, United States.
authors.forename: Wubao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: The City College of the City University of New York, Institute of Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers, Departments of Physics and Electrical Engineering, 160 Convent Avenue, Room MR 201, New York, New York 10031-9101, United States.
authors.forename: Laura A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Sordillo
authors.affiliation: Columbia University Medical Center, Department of Biomedical Informatics, 622 West 168th Street, PH20, New York, New York 10032, United States.
authors.forename: Adler
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perotte
authors.affiliation: Columbia University Medical Center, Department of Biomedical Informatics, 622 West 168th Street, PH20, New York, New York 10032, United States.
authors.forename: Vincent P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Tomaselli
authors.affiliation: The City College of the City University of New York, Institute of Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers, Departments of Physics and Electrical Engineering, 160 Convent Avenue, Room MR 201, New York, New York 10031-9101, United States.
authors.forename: Peter P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Sordillo
authors.affiliation: The City College of the City University of New York, Institute of Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers, Departments of Physics and Electrical Engineering, 160 Convent Avenue, Room MR 201, New York, New York 10031-9101, United States.
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pei
authors.affiliation: The City College of the City University of New York, Institute of Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers, Departments of Physics and Electrical Engineering, 160 Convent Avenue, Room MR 201, New York, New York 10031-9101, United StateseColumbia University, Department of Chemistry, 3000 Broadway MC 3139, New York, New York 10027, United States.
authors.forename: Lingyan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: The City College of the City University of New York, Institute of Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers, Departments of Physics and Electrical Engineering, 160 Convent Avenue, Room MR 201, New York, New York 10031-9101, United States.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Alfano
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000737:chemistry; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods*; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D002338:Carotenoids; D014364:Tryptophan; D002784:Cholesterol