Serum Sulfatide Levels across Atheromatous Plaques are Significantly Affected by Plaque Injury Caused by Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Abstract

Sulfatides might accelerate atherothrombosis. Therefore, this study aimed to monitor serum sulfatide levels in coronary arteries across atheromatous plaques during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with either drug-eluting stents or drug-coated balloons. From every patient, we collected blood from points 1 and 2 before PCI, and points 3 and 4 15 min after PCI, where odd numbered points were proximal and even numbered points were distal to a stenotic lesion. Patients were separated into two groups on the basis of the requirement of a pre-balloon dilation technique (pre-BD) before collecting samples at point 2. This was because of difficulty in passing a microcatheter through narrowed lumens around atheromatous lesions. In patients without pre-BD (n = 23), mean serum sulfatide levels at points 2 (4.60 ± 4.04 nmol/mL), 3 (4.35 ± 3.76 nmol/mL), and 4 (4.53 ± 3.26 nmol/mL) were significantly higher than those at point 1 (2.49 ± 1.11 nmol/mL; all p < 0.05). Patients with pre-BD (n = 18) required additional time (15–20 min) for collecting samples at points 2 to 4 compared with those without pre-BD, but there was no significant difference between the groups. The reason for this lack of significance is not known but may be due (at least in part) to diffusion of sulfatides in the circulation caused by the extra time needed for collection. These results suggest that accumulated sulfatides in stenotic plaques evoke atherothrombosis because of the thrombogenic property of sulfatides under pathological conditions.