Molecular imaging of apolipoprotein B-100 in human coronary plaques by color fluorescent angioscopy and microscopy
Nobuyuki Hiruta1, Yasuto Uchida, Yuko Maezawa
1Department of Pathology, Toho University Sakura Hospital, Chiba, Japan.
Insights
Apolipoprotein B-100 (ApoB-100) deposition in coronary arteries was visualized using color fluorescent angioscopy. ApoB-100 appears early in plaque development and diminishes as necrotic cores form, indicating its role in coronary artery disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Biomarker Imaging
- Atherosclerosis Pathogenesis
Background:
- Apolipoprotein B-100 (ApoB-100) is a key risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD).
- The precise localization and dynamic changes of ApoB-100 within human coronary artery plaques remain incompletely understood.
- Visualizing ApoB-100 is crucial for understanding plaque development and CAD progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To visualize the in-situ localization of Apolipoprotein B-100 (ApoB-100) within the human coronary artery wall.
- To investigate the deposition patterns of ApoB-100 in normal arterial segments and atherosclerotic plaques.
- To assess the feasibility of color fluorescent angioscopy (CFA) for imaging ApoB-100 in vivo.
Main Methods:
- Excised human coronary plaques and normal arterial segments were analyzed using color fluorescent angioscopy (CFA) and confocal microscopy (CFM).
- Nile blue dye was employed as a biomarker, eliciting a characteristic golden fluorescence for ApoB-100.
- Luminal surface and transected surface scans were performed to determine ApoB-100 distribution.
Main Results:
- CFA detected ApoB-100 in 20% of normal segments, 38% of white plaques, and 11% of yellow plaques (p < 0.05 vs. white plaques).
- ApoB-100 deposition was observed in superficial, deep, or both layers of the arterial wall by CFM.
- Deposition was most frequent in white and non-necrotic yellow plaques, less in normal segments, and rare in yellow plaques with necrotic cores.
Conclusions:
- Apolipoprotein B-100 (ApoB-100) deposition initiates before plaque formation, increases with plaque growth, and decreases after necrotic core formation.
- These findings suggest ApoB-100 plays a dynamic role throughout atherogenesis, from initial deposition to later stages of plaque evolution.
- Color fluorescent angioscopy (CFA) is a viable technique for imaging ApoB-100 in the human coronary artery wall, offering potential for clinical application.
Abstract:
Apolipoprotein B-100 (ApoB-100) is an important risk factor for coronary artery disease. However, its localization in human coronary plaques is not well understood. The present study was performed to visualize ApoB-100 in human coronary artery wall. Deposition of native ApoB-100 in excised human coronary plaques and normal segments classified by conventional angioscopy was investigated by color fluorescent angioscopy (CFA) and microscopy (CFM) using Nile blue dye (NB) which elicits a golden fluorescence characteristic of ApoB-100 as a biomarker. By CFA, the % incidence of ApoB-100 was 20 in 40 normal segments, 38 in 42 white, and 11 in 35 yellow plaques (P < 0.05 versus white plaques). There was no significant difference in detection sensitivity between CFA and luminal surface scan by CFM. By CFM transected surface scan, ApoB-100 deposited in superficial, deep, and/or in both layers. Deposition in both layers was frequently observed in white plaques and yellow plaques without necrotic core (NC), less frequently in normal segments, and rarely in yellow plaques with NC. (1) Taking into consideration the well known process of plaque growth, the results suggest that ApoB-100 begins to deposit before plaque formation, increasingly deposits with plaque growth, and disappears after necrotic core formation. (2) CFA is feasible for imaging of ApoB-100 in human coronary artery wall.
