Higher Noncalcified Plaque Volume Is Associated With Increased Plaque Vulnerability and Vascular Inflammation

Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2024 Jan;17(1):e015769. doi: 10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.123.015769. Epub 2024 Jan 11.

Abstract

Background: Recently, it was reported that noncalcified plaque (NCP) volume was an independent predictor for cardiac events. Pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) attenuation is a marker of vascular inflammation and has been associated with increased cardiac mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between NCP volume, plaque vulnerability, and PCAT attenuation.

Methods: Patients who underwent preintervention coronary computed tomography angiography and optical coherence tomography were enrolled. Plaque volume was measured by computed tomography angiography, plaque vulnerability by optical coherence tomography, and the level of coronary inflammation by PCAT attenuation. The plaques were divided into 2 groups of high or low NCP volume based on the median NCP volume.

Results: Among 704 plaques in 454 patients, the group with high NCP volume had a higher prevalence of lipid-rich plaque (87.2% versus 75.9%; P<0.001), thin-cap fibroatheroma (38.1% versus 20.7%; P<0.001), macrophage (77.8% versus 63.4%; P<0.001), microvessel (58.2% versus 42.9%; P<0.001), and cholesterol crystal (42.0% versus 26.7%; P<0.001) than the group with low NCP plaque volume. The group with high NCP volume also had higher PCAT attenuation than the group with low NCP volume (-69.6±10.0 versus -73.5±10.6 Hounsfield unit; P<0.001). In multivariable analysis, NCP volume was significantly associated with thin-cap fibroatheroma and high PCAT attenuation. In the analysis of the combination of PCAT attenuation and NCP volume, the prevalence of thin-cap fibroatheroma was the highest in the high PCAT attenuation and high NCP volume group and the lowest in the low PCAT attenuation and low NCP volume group.

Conclusions: Higher NCP volume was associated with higher plaque vulnerability and vascular inflammation. The combination of PCAT attenuation and NCP volume may help identify plaque vulnerability noninvasively.

Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT04523194.

Keywords: atherosclerosis; computed tomography angiography; coronary artery disease; tomography, optical coherence.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue
  • Computed Tomography Angiography / methods
  • Coronary Angiography / methods
  • Coronary Artery Disease* / diagnostic imaging
  • Coronary Vessels / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / diagnostic imaging
  • Plaque, Atherosclerotic*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT04523194