Potential Relation between Plasma BDNF Levels and Human Coronary Plaque Morphology

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Biomarkers
• Atherosclerosis Research

Background:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD) patients face high ischemic risk, necessitating novel biomarkers for atherosclerotic disease severity and plaque vulnerability.
• Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) influences endothelial and macrophage activity, suggesting a role in atherosclerotic plaque dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between plasma BDNF levels and in vivo coronary plaque features.
• To assess BDNF's relationship with plaque vulnerability in patients with stable angina (SA) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Main Methods:

• Enrolled 55 CAD patients (31 SA, 24 AMI) and 21 healthy subjects (HS).
• Assessed coronary plaque features using optical coherence tomography (OCT).
• Measured plasma BDNF levels and correlated them with clinical data and OCT findings.

Main Results:

• BDNF levels were significantly lower in CAD patients compared to HS (p < 0.0001).
• Higher BDNF levels correlated with OCT-identified plaque vulnerability across all CAD patients (p < 0.03).
• In SA patients, BDNF positively correlated with macrophage infiltration (p = 0.01) and inversely with minimal lumen area (p = 0.02).
• In AMI patients, BDNF showed a negative correlation with plaque cap thickness (p = 0.02).

Conclusions:

• Plasma BDNF levels are associated with coronary plaque vulnerability in CAD patients.
• Vulnerable plaque characteristics correlate positively with BDNF, irrespective of clinical presentation (SA or AMI).
• BDNF may serve as a potential biomarker for assessing atherosclerotic plaque instability.