Data Processing Pipeline for Lipid Profiling of Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque with Mass Spectrometry Imaging.

ABSTRACT: Atherosclerosis is a lipid and inflammation-driven disease of the arteries that is characterized by gradual buildup of plaques in the vascular wall. A so-called vulnerable plaque, consisting of a lipid-rich necrotic core contained by a thin fibrous cap, may rupture and trigger thrombus formation, which can lead to ischemia in the heart (heart attack) or in the brain (stroke). In this study, we present a protocol to investigate the lipid composition of advanced human carotid plaques using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), providing a framework that should enable the discrimination of vulnerable from stable plaques based on lipid composition. We optimized the tissue preparation and imaging methods by systematically analyzing data from three

SUBMITTER: Visscher M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6695360 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature