Project description:BackgroundThe Oxford Carotid Stenosis tool (OCST) and Essen Stroke Risk Score (ESRS) are validated to predict recurrent stroke in patients with and without carotid stenosis. The Symptomatic Carotid Atheroma Inflammation Lumen stenosis (SCAIL) score combines stenosis and plaque inflammation on fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (18FDG-PET). We compared SCAIL with OCST and ESRS to predict ipsilateral stroke recurrence in symptomatic carotid stenosis.Patients and methodsWe pooled three prospective cohort studies of patients with recent (<30 days) non-severe ischaemic stroke/TIA and internal carotid artery stenosis (>50%). All patients had carotid 18FDG-PET/CT angiography and late follow-up, with censoring at carotid revascularisation.ResultsOf 212 included patients, 16 post-PET ipsilateral recurrent strokes occurred in 343 patient-years follow-up (median 42 days (IQR 13-815)).Baseline SCAIL predicted recurrent stroke (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.96, CI 1.20-3.22, p = 0.007, adjusted HR 2.37, CI 1.31-4.29, p = 0.004). The HR for OCST was 0.996 (CI 0.987-1.006, p = 0.49) and for ESRS was 1.26 (CI 0.87-1.82, p = 0.23) (all per 1-point score increase). C-statistics were: SCAIL 0.66 (CI 0.51-0.80), OCST 0.52 (CI 0.40-0.64), ESRS 0.61 (CI 0.48-0.74). Compared with ESRS, addition of plaque inflammation (SUVmax) to ESRS improved risk prediction when analysed continuously (HR 1.51, CI 1.05-2.16, p = 0.03) and categorically (ptrend = 0.005 for risk increase across groups; HR 3.31, CI 1.42-7.72, p = 0.006; net reclassification improvement 10%). Findings were unchanged by further addition of carotid stenosis.ConclusionsSCAIL predicted recurrent stroke, had discrimination better than chance, and improved the prognostic utility of ESRS, suggesting that measuring plaque inflammation may improve risk stratification in carotid stenosis.
Project description:Rheumatic heart disease is the most common valvular heart disease in developing countries. Recurrent syncope due to a large, free-floating left atrial thrombus is a rare presentation of rheumatic mitral stenosis. We report this uncommon finding on echocardiogram in an elderly woman presenting to the emergency department with giddiness for the past few months.
Project description:The aim of this study was to identify new biomarkers and to investigate pathways involved in the progression of human carotid atheroma.
Project description:There are regional differences in plaque morphology and mechanistic differences between areas upstream and downstream of the lipid core. Transcript expression profiles were determined for post-bifurcation carotid plaques to identify genes differentially expressed between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.
Project description:Pathologic and clinical investigations suggest that femoral artery plaques are less inflammatory than other vascular beds, including carotid arteries. However, limited data exist regarding comparative immune landscapes and inflammatory polarization that may underlie such differences in femoral versus carotid plaque.
Project description:The aim of this study was to identify new biomarkers and to investigate pathways involved in the progression of human carotid atheroma. The study was conducted from pieces of carotid endarterectomy collected in 32 hypertensive patients. The samples contained media and neo-intima without adventitia. They were paired, including for each patient one sample of the atheroma plaque (stage IV and over of the Stary classfication) containing core and shoulders of the plaque, and one sample of distant macroscopically intact tissue (stages I and II). In addition, clinical, biological and histological data were collected.
Project description:The aim of this study was to identify new biomarkers and to investigate pathways involved in the progression of human carotid atheroma. The study was conducted from pieces of carotid endarterectomy collected in 32 hypertensive patients. The samples contained media and neo-intima without adventitia. They were paired, including for each patient one sample of the atheroma plaque (stage IV and over of the Stary classfication) containing core and shoulders of the plaque, and one sample of distant macroscopically intact tissue (stages I and II). In addition, clinical, biological and histological data were collected.
Project description:There are regional differences in plaque morphology and protein expression. MicroRNA expression profiles were determined for post-bifurcation carotid plaques to identify gene regulation mechanisms differentially expressed between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.
Project description:Objective: Gout and cardiovascular disease are closely related, but the mechanism connecting them remains unknown. This study aims to explore whether urate crystal deposits and inflammation (assessed by ultrasound) are associated with carotid atherosclerosis. Methods: We included consecutive patients with crystal-proven gout newly presenting to a tertiary rheumatology unit. Patients under urate-lowering treatment were excluded. Ultrasound assessment was performed during intercritical periods. Musculoskeletal scans evaluated six joints and four tendons for urate crystal deposits (double contour, aggregates, and tophi), and power Doppler (PD) signal (graded 0-3) as a marker of local inflammation. The sum of locations showing deposits or a positive PD signal (≥1) was registered. Carotids were scanned for increased intima-media thickness (IMT) and atheroma plaques, according to the Mannheim consensus. Associations were analyzed using logistic regression. Results: The study included 103 patients showing sonographic crystal deposits at the examined locations (mean sum 9.9, minimum 2); tophi were the most frequent. Two-thirds of participants presented a positive PD signal (30.1% grade 2-3). In the carotid scans, 59.2% of participants showed atheroma plaques, and 33.0% increased IMT. Tophi (odds ratio [OR] 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.50) and a positive PD signal (OR 1.67; 95% CI 1.09-2.56) were significantly associated with atheroma plaques, while an increased IMT showed no sonographic association. Conclusion: Sonographic crystal deposits and subclinical inflammation were consistently observed in patients with intercritical gout. Tophi and a positive PD signal were linked to carotid atherosclerosis. Our findings may contribute to understanding the complex relationship between gout and atherosclerosis.
Project description:Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of cardiovascular events and its molecular mechanism urgently needs to be clarified. In our study, atheromatous plaques (ATH) and macroscopically intact tissue (MIT) sampled from 32 patients were compared and an integrated series of bioinformatic microarray analyses were used to identify altered genes and pathways. Our work showed 816 genes were differentially expressed between ATH and MIT, including 443 that were up-regulated and 373 that were down-regulated in ATH tissues. GO functional-enrichment analysis for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) indicated that genes related to the "immune response" and "muscle contraction" were altered in ATHs. KEGG pathway-enrichment analysis showed that up-regulated DEGs were significantly enriched in the "FcεRI-mediated signaling pathway", while down-regulated genes were significantly enriched in the "transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway". Protein-protein interaction network and module analysis demonstrated that VAV1, SYK, LYN and PTPN6 may play critical roles in the network. Additionally, similar observations were seen in a validation study where SYK, LYN and PTPN6 were markedly elevated in ATH. All in all, identification of these genes and pathways not only provides new insights into the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, but may also aid in the development of prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers for advanced atheroma.