How accurate is atherosclerosis imaging by coronary computed tomography angiography?

Invasive coronary plaque imaging such as intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography has been widely used to observe culprit or non-culprit coronary atherosclerosis, as well as optimize stent sizing, apposition and deployment. Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) is non-invasively available to assess coronary artery disease (CAD) and has become an appropriate strategy to evaluate patients with suspected CAD. Given recent technologies, semi-automated plaque software is available to identify coronary plaque stenosis, volume and characteristics and potentially allows to be used for the assessment of more details of plaque information, progression and future risk as a surrogate tool of the invasive imaging modalities. This review article aims to focus on various evidence in coronary plaque imaging by coronary CTA and describes how accurate coronary CTA can classify coronary atherosclerosis.     

前循环缺血性卒中老年患者颈动脉斑块及其稳定性与血流壁切应力的关系

目的通过探讨前循环缺血性卒中老年患者颈总动脉分叉处血流壁切应力的水平分析其在颈动脉斑块形成过程中的影响。方法本研究选择前循环缺血性卒中老年患者,应用经皮血管彩超测量颈动脉斑块及其稳定性以及对研究对象测量患侧颈动脉血流速度、血管内径和血液粘滞度,通过公式计算血流壁切应力。结果无斑块组和有斑块组之间、高回声和低回声斑块组之间血流壁切应力均有显著性差异(P<0．01)。结论血流壁低切应力促进颈动脉斑块、尤其是不稳定斑块的形成。     

三磷酸腺苷结合盒运转体A1与颈动脉粥样硬化斑块的关系

目的 探讨三磷酸腺苷结合盒运转体A1(ATP binding cassette transporter A1,ABCA1)在人颈动脉粥样硬化斑块中的表达变化及作用机制.方法 收集24例人颈动脉粥样硬化斑块标本和10例肠系膜动脉标本(对照组),采用RT-PCR测定ABCA1 mRNA和视黄酸X受体α(RXRα)mRNA表达水平,并采用Western Blot检测ABCA1及RXRα的蛋白表达水平.24例人颈动脉粥样硬化斑块标本按病理分级,比较病理组织为Ⅲ级和Ⅰ级动脉粥样硬化组织间ABCA1 mRNA、RXRαmRNA表达水平及蛋白表达水平.结果 颈动脉粥样硬化斑块组的ABCA1 mRNA(0.79±0.04)和RXRα mRNA(0.73±0.04)表达与对照组相比上调,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05);ABCA1 mRNA与RXRα mRNA增加水平相关(P＜0.05);颈动脉粥样硬化斑块的ABCA1蛋白表达(0.22±0.03)下调水平与对照组(0.53±0.03)相比差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05);Ⅲ级和Ⅰ级动脉硬化斑块ABCA1mRNA、RXRα mRNA及蛋白表达水平差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论 ABCA1及RXRα蛋白表达水平下调可能是进展性动脉粥样硬化损害的关键因素.     

Smoking and hypertension: risk factors for carotid stenosis

Summary The prevalence of smoking, hypertension and diabetes mellitus was assessed in 221 patients suffering from internal carotid stenosis and compared with the prevalences in two sex- and age-matched control groups composed of subjects having normal Doppler findings and from non-neurological outpatients. Of the subjects with carotid stenosis 27.6% were hypertensive smokers in comparison with 9.5% and 17.2% in the two control groups. The difference of the stenosis cohort from the two control groups was significant (P<0.01 and P=0.016 respectively). There was no statistically significant differences between the occurrence of diabetes and hypertension in non-smokers and patients who smoked. In 394 investigated patients suffering from carotid stenosis or occlusion an obstruction index, based on the Doppler shift frequency, was calculated. This index was lowest in the normotentive non-smokers. It was only insignificantly higher in the hypertensive non-smokers but significantly so in the normotensive smokers. The index was highest in the hypertensive non-smokers. It was concluded that cigarette smoking, especially if associated with hypertension, is a determinant risk factor for carotid stenosis and occlusion.     

血浆同型半胱氨酸水平与动脉粥样硬化和脑梗死的关系

目的 探讨血浆同型半胱氨酸(Hcy)水平与颈动脉粥样硬化和脑梗死关系.方法 2005-05～2006-02收治的91例脑梗死住院患者被列入研究对象.根据病灶大小分3组大片梗死21例,小片梗死44例,腔隙性梗死26例.根据颈动脉彩超检测结果将研究对象分为颈动脉斑块组34例,无颈动脉斑块组57例.全部患者测定血浆Hcy、血清叶酸、VitB12水平.分析血浆Hcy水平与脑梗死的危险因素、病灶大小、颈动脉粥样硬化斑块及血清叶酸、VitB12的关系.结果 血浆Hcy水平(1)与高血压、糖尿病、血脂、性别、年龄各指标无明显相关关系.(2)与脑梗死病灶大小无关.(3)与颈动脉粥样硬化斑块有关,有斑块34例,血浆Hcy(20.73±9.31)μmol/L,无斑块57例,血浆Hcy (15.46±11.4) μmol/L,前者高于后者(P＜0.05).(4)与血清叶酸、VitB12水平呈负相关(r1s=-0.264,r2s=-0.16,P＜0.05).结论 血浆Hcy水平与脑梗死病灶大小无关;Hcy水平升高与颈动脉粥样硬化斑块密切相关;与血清叶酸、VitB12水平呈负相关.高血浆Hcy血症可能是颈动脉粥样硬化的危险因素,但与脑梗死关系不明确.