BACKGROUND Atherosclerotic plaque fracture and dissection of the arterial wall are frequent concomitants of the balloon angioplasty process. The composition and morphology of plaque within the vessel may be critical in determining the extent of plaque fracture and dissection during balloon angioplasty. To examine this potential association in the clinical setting, we studied patients with intra...

OBJECTIVES This study sought to evaluate the relationship between platelet reactivity and atherosclerotic burden in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with pre-intervention volumetric intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging. BACKGROUND Atherosclerosis progresses by the pathologic sequence of subclinical plaque rupture, thrombosis, and healing. In this setting, increa...

Cardiac computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) has emerged as a powerful imaging modality for the detection and prognostication of individuals with suspected coronary artery disease. Because calcification of coronary plaque occurs in proportion to the total atheroma volume, the initial diagnostic potential of CCTA focused on the identification and quantification of coronary calcium in low- to ...

Methods In 40 patients (age 57 11 years, 26 men) presenting with suspected ACS, MSCT coronary angiography in combination with coronary calcium scoring was performed before conventional coronary angiography. MSCT angiograms were evaluated for the presence or absence of coronary atherosclerotic plaque and the presence or absence of obstructive ( 50% luminal narrowing) CAD. In addition, plaque typ...

Background: In this prospective study we determine the diagnostic value of coronary CT angiography (CTA) and calcium imaging in low to intermediate risk acute chest pain patients. Methods: One hundred and eleven consecutive patients (57±11 years, 71 males) presenting to the emergency department with chest pain suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but without indication for immediate cat...

The purpose of this study was to examine plaque and saliva composition after a fluoride rinse and subsequent sucrose application. Fifteen subjects accumulated plaque for 48 h, and then rinsed with a fluoride rinse based on 228 microg/g (ppm) Na2SiF6 and some received no rinse. After 60 min, upper and lower buccal molar plaque samples and 1-min saliva samples were collected. The subjects then ri...

Iron within atherosclerotic plaque has been implicated as a catalyst of oxidative stress that causes progression of plaque, and plaque rupture. Iron is believed to accumulate within plaque by incorporation of erythrocytes following plaque rupture and hemorrhage. There is only indirect evidence to support this hypothesis. Plaque specimens were obtained from ten symptomatic and fifteen asymptomat...

OBJECTIVES Multiple conservative therapies for the treatment of Peyronie's disease have been offered with variable and poor response rates. Calcium channel blockers have been shown in vitro and in vivo to inhibit secretion and synthesis of extracellular matrix, including collagen, glycosaminoglycans, and fibronectin, as well as causing increased collagenase and anti transforming growth factor-b...

Cell death is an important aspect of atherosclerotic plaque development. Insufficient efferocytosis cells by phagocytic macrophages leads to the buildup a necrotic core that impacts stability plaque. Furthermore, in presence calcium and phosphate, apoptotic bodies resulting from can act as nucleation sites for formation phosphate crystals, mostly form hydroxyapatite, which calcification plaque,...

Calcification of the coronary arteries plays a key role in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. Coronary calcification is an active process culminating in extracellular matrix deposition of calcium by osteoblast-like cells that has some resemblance to bone formation [1]. Subintimal coronary calcification is almost exclusively associated with the presence of coronary atherosclerosis and is co...