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Elevated levels of monocyte activation markers are associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in men with and those without HIV infection.
McKibben, RA, Margolick, JB, Grinspoon, S, Li, X, Palella, FJ, Kingsley, LA, Witt, MD, George, RT, Jacobson, LP, Budoff, M, et al
The Journal of infectious diseases. 2015;(8):1219-28
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Heightened immune activation among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected persons may contribute to atherosclerosis. We assessed associations of serologic markers of monocyte activation, soluble CD163 (sCD163) and soluble CD14 (sCD14), and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (CCL2) with subclinical atherosclerosis among men with and those without HIV infection in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. METHODS We performed noncontrast computed tomography on 906 men (566 HIV-infected men and 340 HIV-uninfected men), 709 of whom also underwent coronary computed tomographic angiography. Associations between each biomarker and the prevalence of coronary plaque, the prevalence of stenosis of ≥50%, and the extent of plaque were assessed by logistic and linear regression, adjusting for age, race, HIV serostatus, and cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS Levels of all biomarkers were higher among HIV-infected men, of whom 81% had undetectable HIV RNA, and were associated with lower CD4(+) T-cell counts. In the entire population and among HIV-infected men, higher biomarker levels were associated with a greater prevalence of coronary artery stenosis of ≥50%. Higher sCD163 levels were also associated with greater prevalences of coronary artery calcium, mixed plaque, and calcified plaque; higher CCL2 levels were associated with a greater extent of noncalcified plaque. CONCLUSIONS sCD163, sCD14, and CCL2 levels were elevated in treated HIV-infected men and associated with atherosclerosis. Monocyte activation may increase the risk for cardiovascular disease in individuals with HIV infection.
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Spectroscopic intravascular photoacoustic imaging of lipids in atherosclerosis.
Jansen, K, van der Steen, AF, Wu, M, van Beusekom, HM, Springeling, G, Li, X, Zhou, Q, Shung, KK, de Kleijn, DP, van Soest, G
Journal of biomedical optics. 2014;(2):026006
Abstract
The natural history of atherosclerosis is marked by changes in the lipid biochemistry in the diseased arterial wall. As lesions become more vulnerable, different cholesterol species accumulate in the plaque. Understanding unstable atherosclerosis as a pharmacological and interventional therapeutic target requires chemically specific imaging of disease foci. In this study, we aim to image atherosclerotic plaque lipids and other vessel wall constituents with spectroscopic intravascular photoacoustics (sIVPA). sIVPA imaging can identify lipids in human coronary atherosclerotic plaque by relying on contrast in the near-infrared absorption spectra of the arterial wall components. Using reference spectra acquired on pure compounds, we analyzed sIVPA data from human coronary plaques ex vivo, to image plaque composition in terms of cholesterol and cholesterol ester content. In addition, we visualized the deeper lying connective tissue layers of the adventitia, as well as the fatty acid containing adipose cells in the peri-adventitial tissue. We performed simultaneous coregistered IVUS imaging to obtain complementary morphological information. Results were corroborated by histopathology. sIVPA imaging can distinguish the most prevalent lipid components of human atherosclerotic plaques and also visualize the connective tissue layers of the adventitia and the fatty acid containing adipose cells in the peri-adventitial tissue.