Association of systemic inflammatory biomarkers with morphological characteristics of the coronary atherosclerotic plaque by intravascular optical coherence tomography.

Association of systemic inflammatory biomarkers with morphological characteristics of the coronary atherosclerotic plaque by intravascular optical coherence tomography. Hellenic J Cardiol. 2020 Jul 03;: Authors: Koganti S, Karanasos A, Regar E, Rakhit RD Abstract Despite significant advances in preventive, medical and interventional management, coronary artery disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. We now know that in the majority of acute coronary syndromes, a thrombotic event is triggered either by the rupture or erosion of the so-called high-risk or 'vulnerable' plaque. However, accurately identifying the individual who is at significant risk of acute event remains the holy grail of preventive cardiology. To better stratify an individual's risk of developing and suffering a cardiovascular event, biomarkers are needed that can accurately predict coronary events, and if possible monitor disease activity in response to medical or interventional therapies. In order to be able to understand the association of these biomarkers with the morphological substrate of high-risk plaques, intravascular imaging modalities can provide invaluable assistance. Novel imaging tools such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) have not only helped in identifying atherosclerotic plaque characteristics that are unstable but also in estimating global plaque burden. Herein we provide an overview of our current knowledge of association of vario...
Source: Hellenic Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Tags: Hellenic J Cardiol Source Type: research