title: Echolucency of the carotid artery is associated with short-term plaque progression and positive remodeling in the culprit coronary artery in AMI survivors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rapid plaque progression and positive remodeling are recognized as vulnerable coronary plaque characteristics. This study examined whether serial carotid ultrasonography might be of value for assessment of coronary plaque progression and positive remodeling, measured by serial intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), in survivors of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine patients with AMI had repeated examinations by IVUS of culprit coronary arteries and echolucency of the coronary artery on admission (1st test) and 6 months later (2nd test). Plaque volume and external elastic membrane area of the native segment (15±9mm in length) beginning 5mm proximal to the stent edge in the culprit coronary artery were measured using volumetric IVUS. Echolucency of the carotid artery was assessed by integrated backscatter (IBS) analysis. Lower IBS reflects an echolucent and lipid-rich plaque.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increase in coronary plaque volume and positive remodeling over 6 months occurred in 17 and 12 patients, respectively. The % change in carotid IBS value over 6 months was correlated with the % change in the coronary plaque volume (r=-0.69, p<0.001). The aggravated change in the carotid IBS was significantly associated with increase in the coronary plaque volume and positive remodeling over 6 months (OR 0.94 and 0.95, respectively, 95% CI 0.90-0.99, both p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serial measurements of echolucency of the carotid artery may be of value for assessment of short-term progression and positive remodeling of coronary plaques in AMI survivors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Yamanashi, Faculty of Medicine, Chuo, Yamanashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Futamata
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Yamanashi, Faculty of Medicine, Chuo, Yamanashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Yamanashi, Faculty of Medicine, Chuo, Yamanashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Yamanashi, Faculty of Medicine, Chuo, Yamanashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshizaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Yamanashi, Faculty of Medicine, Chuo, Yamanashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun-Ei
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Obata
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Yamanashi, Faculty of Medicine, Chuo, Yamanashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Takamitsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Yamanashi, Faculty of Medicine, Chuo, Yamanashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fujioka
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Yamanashi, Faculty of Medicine, Chuo, Yamanashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Yamanashi, Faculty of Medicine, Chuo, Yamanashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuto
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Yamanashi, Faculty of Medicine, Chuo, Yamanashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Yamanashi, Faculty of Medicine, Chuo, Yamanashi, Japan. Electronic address: kugiyama@yamanashi.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kiyotaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kugiyama
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015607:Stents; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
keywords: Carotid plaque echolucency; Intravascular ultrasound; Myocardial infarction; Vulnerable coronary plaque