BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Chancellor's Building, University of Edinburgh, 49 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK.
British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
Sci Rep. 2020 Nov 19;10(1):20172. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-77391-6.
Early microcalcification is a feature of coronary plaques with an increased propensity to rupture and to cause acute coronary syndromes. In this ex vivo imaging study of coronary artery specimens, the non-invasive imaging radiotracer, F-fluoride, was highly selective for hydroxyapatite deposition in atherosclerotic coronary plaque. Specifically, coronary F-fluoride uptake had a high signal to noise ratio compared with surrounding myocardium that makes it feasible to identify coronary mineralisation activity. Areas of F-fluoride uptake are associated with osteopontin, an inflammation-associated glycophosphoprotein that mediates tissue mineralisation, and Runt-related transcription factor 2, a nuclear protein involved in osteoblastic differentiation. These results suggest that F-fluoride is a non-invasive imaging biomarker of active coronary atherosclerotic mineralisation.
早期微钙化是易破裂并导致急性冠脉综合征的冠状动脉斑块的特征。在这项对冠状动脉标本的体外成像研究中，非侵入性成像放射性示踪剂 F-氟化物对动脉粥样硬化性冠状动脉斑块中的羟基磷灰石沉积具有高度选择性。具体而言，与周围心肌相比，冠状动脉 F-氟化物摄取具有较高的信噪比，这使得识别冠状动脉矿化活性成为可能。F-氟化物摄取区域与骨桥蛋白相关，骨桥蛋白是一种与炎症相关的糖磷蛋白，可介导组织矿化，以及 runt 相关转录因子 2，一种参与成骨细胞分化的核蛋白。这些结果表明，F-氟化物是一种非侵入性的冠状动脉粥样硬化性矿化活性的成像生物标志物。
