Department of Radiology, The Beijing Military Region General Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100700, P.R. China.
Mol Med Rep. 2013 Aug;8(2):499-504. doi: 10.3892/mmr.2013.1521. Epub 2013 Jun 13.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between coronary calcification and carotid atherosclerosis. Briefly, 123 patients with suspected coronary artery disease were recruited. The coronary artery calcium score (CACS) was measured and multi‑contrast carotid magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed. Parameters of the carotid morphological measurements were determined and the presence or absence of carotid plaque tissue compositions was recorded for each subject, as well as plaque surface disruption. Two reviewers blind to CACS status interpreted the MRIs. All the subjects were divided into two groups, high‑ and low‑CACS and the carotid morphological measurements in the CACS groups and categories were compared using independent t‑tests and one way ANOVA, respectively. CACS was found to exhibit a moderate correlation with carotid wall area (WA; r=0.521) and mean wall thickness (MWT; r=0.556) and a weak correlation with total vessel area (TVA; r=0.215) and normalized wall index (r=0.377). No significant correlation between CACS and carotid lumen area was identified. Compared with low‑CACS, the high‑CACS group revealed increased carotid WA, TVA and MWT. In the entire cohort, carotid plaque burden revealed an increasing trend with an increasing CACS. CACS and presence of carotid calcification and lipid‑rich necrotic core (LRNC) demonstrated a significant correlation. No significant correlation was observed between CACS with carotid intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) and surface disruption. CACS was found to moderately correlate with carotid calcification and LRNC volume and weakly correlate with carotid IPH volume. Results of the present study indicated that CACS significantly correlates with carotid atherosclerotic plaque burden and the presence of tissue compositions.
本研究旨在评估冠状动脉钙化与颈动脉粥样硬化之间的关系。简要地说，招募了 123 例疑似冠心病患者。测量了冠状动脉钙评分（CACS），并进行了多对比颈动脉磁共振成像（MRI）。确定了颈动脉形态学测量的参数，并记录了每位受试者颈动脉斑块组织成分的存在与否以及斑块表面破裂情况。两名对 CACS 状态不知情的审查员对 MRI 进行了解读。所有受试者均分为 CACS 高、低两组，分别采用独立 t 检验和单因素方差分析比较 CACS 组和分类的颈动脉形态学测量值。结果发现，CACS 与颈动脉壁面积（WA；r=0.521）和平均壁厚度（MWT；r=0.556）呈中度相关，与总血管面积（TVA；r=0.215）和归一化壁指数（r=0.377）呈弱相关。CACS 与颈动脉管腔面积之间无显著相关性。与低 CACS 组相比，高 CACS 组的颈动脉 WA、TVA 和 MWT 均增加。在整个队列中，颈动脉斑块负荷随 CACS 的增加呈上升趋势。CACS 与颈动脉钙化和富含脂质的坏死核心（LRNC）的存在具有显著相关性。CACS 与颈动脉内斑块出血（IPH）和表面破裂之间无显著相关性。CACS 与颈动脉钙化和 LRNC 体积中度相关，与颈动脉 IPH 体积弱相关。本研究结果表明，CACS 与颈动脉粥样硬化斑块负荷及组织成分的存在具有显著相关性。
