Grønholdt Marie-Louise M, Nordestgaard Børge G, Bentzon Jacob, Wiebe Britt M, Zhou Ji, Falk Erling, Sillesen Henrik
Department of Vascular Surgery, Gentofte Hospital, Universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark.
J Vasc Surg. 2002 Jan;35(1):137-45.
Atherosclerosis may be regarded as an inflammatory disease dominated by macrophages. We tested whether macrophages in carotid artery atherosclerotic plaques are associated with echolucency on B-mode ultrasound imaging, lipid levels, inflammatory markers, and aspirin use.
We studied 106 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy having >/=50% carotid artery stenosis and previous ipsilateral hemispheric neurologic symptoms.
Macrophages were particularly common in plaques with a high content of lipid and hemorrhage and, conversely, rare in plaques dominated by calcification and fibrous tissue. Macrophage density in carotid artery plaques classified by B-mode ultrasound imaging as echolucent (n = 56), intermediate (n = 25), or echorich (n = 25) was 1.8% +/- 0.2%, 1.5% +/- 0.4%, and 1.0% +/- 0.2% (+/-SE), respectively (analysis of variance, P =.02). A computer-generated measure of plaque echolucency, gray-scale median, was associated with increased macrophage density (r = -0.31; P =.002). Furthermore, plasma and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were associated with carotid artery macrophage density (r = 0.26, P =.008 and r = 0.23, P =.02); this was most pronounced in patients with lipid-rich plaques. Macrophage density was not associated with plasma levels of acute-phase reactants. Finally, macrophage density in carotid artery plaques of users (n = 55) and nonusers of aspirin (n = 51) was 1.2% +/- 0.2% and 1.8% +/- 0.2% (t test, P =.01).
Increased macrophage density in carotid atherosclerotic plaques was associated with lipid content, plaque echolucency, and increased plasma and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Furthermore, use of aspirin was associated with reduced macrophage density in carotid artery plaques.
动脉粥样硬化可被视为一种以巨噬细胞为主导的炎症性疾病。我们测试了颈动脉粥样硬化斑块中的巨噬细胞是否与B型超声成像的透声性、血脂水平、炎症标志物及阿司匹林的使用有关。
我们研究了106例行颈动脉内膜切除术的患者，这些患者存在≥50%的颈动脉狭窄且既往有同侧半球神经症状。
巨噬细胞在富含脂质和出血的斑块中尤为常见，相反，在以钙化和纤维组织为主的斑块中则很少见。根据B型超声成像分类为透声性（n = 56）、中等（n = 25）或强回声（n = 25）的颈动脉斑块中的巨噬细胞密度分别为1.8%±0.2%、1.5%±0.4%和1.0%±0.2%（±标准误）（方差分析，P = 0.02）。计算机生成的斑块透声性测量指标灰度中位数与巨噬细胞密度增加相关（r = -0.31；P = 0.002）。此外，血浆和低密度脂蛋白胆固醇水平与颈动脉巨噬细胞密度相关（r = 0.26，P = 0.008和r = 0.23，P = 0.02）；这在富含脂质的斑块患者中最为明显。巨噬细胞密度与急性期反应物的血浆水平无关。最后，阿司匹林使用者（n = 55）和非使用者（n = 51）的颈动脉斑块中的巨噬细胞密度分别为1.2%±0.2%和1.8%±0.2%（t检验，P = 0.01）。
颈动脉粥样硬化斑块中巨噬细胞密度增加与脂质含量、斑块透声性以及血浆和低密度脂蛋白胆固醇水平升高有关。此外，阿司匹林的使用与颈动脉斑块中巨噬细胞密度降低有关。
