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Biomarkers of atherosclerosis and the potential of MRI for the diagnosis of vulnerable plaque

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Abstract

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory vascular disease. As it is an inflammation process, many cellular and molecular events are involved at each step of the progression of atherosclerosis from an early fatty streak lesion to a highly dangerous rupture-prone plaque. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a well-established diagnostic tool for many kinds of chronic inflammation in various systems and organs, and recent improvements in spatial resolution and contrast strategies make it a promising technique for the characterization of inflammatory vessel walls. The first part of this review will briefly introduce the main cellular and molecular processes involved in atherosclerotic lesions; the second part will focus on the use of high-resolution MRI and present-generation contrast agents for plaque characterization; and the third part will present some recent and ongoing cellular and molecular MRI studies of atherosclerosis.

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Abbreviations

CAM:

Cell adhesion molecule (ICAM, VCAM, Selectins)

CD44:

Lymphocyte integrin, interaction with extracellular matrix (hyaluronan)

CR3 or 4:

Complement receptors for fragments 3 and 4 expressed on monocytes

CRP:

C-reactive protein

GP Ib-IX-V:

Glycoprotein complex (=GP Ibα, GP Ibβ, GP IX and GP V), P selectin ligand

ICAM:

Intercellular adhesion molecule, LFA-1 ligand

IFN-α:

Interferon-alpha

IL:

Interleukin

LFA-1:

Lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (immunoglobulin)

MCP-1:

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1

MMP:

Matrix metalloproteinase

oxLDL:

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein

PCAM:

Platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

sCD40L:

Soluble CD40 ligand

TNF-α:

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha

VCAM:

Vascular cell adhesion molecule, VLA-4 ligand

VLA-4:

Very late antigen-4, integrin

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université Lyon 1, ESCPE, Laboratoire CREATIS-LRMN, CNRS UMR 5220, INSERM U630, Domaine Scientifique de la Doua, 43 Bd 11 novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France

    E. Canet-Soulas

  2. INSERM, U 698, Bio-ingénierie Cardiovasculaire, CHU Xavier Bichat, Université Paris 7, 75018, Paris, France

    D. Letourneur

  3. Institut Galilée, Université Paris 13, 99 av J.B. Clément, 93430, Villetaneuse, France

    D. Letourneur

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  1. E. Canet-Soulas
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  2. D. Letourneur
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Correspondence to E. Canet-Soulas.

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This work was supported by the French Ministry of Research (Incentive Concerted Action Program, project CIVAREM), Rhône-Alpes Region grants, and an Ile de France and Paris Region ATHIM grant (Medicen Santé Ile de France cluster).

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Canet-Soulas, E., Letourneur, D. Biomarkers of atherosclerosis and the potential of MRI for the diagnosis of vulnerable plaque. Magn Reson Mater Phy 20, 129–142 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-007-0078-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-007-0078-y

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