Atherosclerotic Disease Group Research Articles

Does disease etiology matter in long-term patency in extracranial-intracranial bypass?

OBJECTIVE Extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass has been well described in chronic vaso-occlusive cerebrovascular diseases, including both moyamoya disease (MMD) and atherosclerotic disease (AD). This study aimed to compare factors associated with bypass occlusion between these two diseases. METHODS An institutional database of 357 patients with intracranial bypass procedures performed between August 2001 and May 2022 was retrospectively reviewed. Patients with MMD and AD were selected for study. Baseline characteristics, surgical technique, and flow-related measurements were compared in relation to the outcome of bypass occlusion. RESULTS A total of 232 patients met inclusion criteria (AD, n = 108; MMD, n = 124). The average age and sex differed significantly between groups (AD 57.2 years, 56.5% male; MMD 36.6 years, 31.5% male; p < 0.001). The modified Rankin Scale scores at surgery and at follow-up were higher in the AD group (p = 0.004 and p < 0.001, respectively), showing a slightly worse baseline functional status, and higher rates of stroke were observed in the AD group by last follow-up (p = 0.005). Patients with AD also were more likely to require an interpositional graft (p < 0.001). At last follow-up, rates of occlusion did not differ between AD and MMD groups (25.2% vs 25.4%, respectively). Of occluded bypasses, the AD group had more occlusions within 1 week compared to MMD (51.9% vs 35.5%, p = 0.176), although the difference was not significant. In patients with more than 1 year of follow-up and in those with more than 2 years of follow-up, MMD tended to have higher rates of occlusion (31.2% vs 26.1% [p = 0.558], and 26.4% vs 20.7% [p = 0.564]). Flow measurements did not differ between AD and MMD groups, but in subgroup analyses of patients with AD and those with MMD, both bypass flow and cut flow index predicted occlusion in both groups. CONCLUSIONS Despite different disease etiologies treated with bypass, rates of occlusion at last follow-up did not vary between groups, although short-term follow-up would suggest earlier bypass failure in AD, and extended follow-up trended toward higher occlusion rates in MMD. Additionally, patients with AD were more likely to have further occurrences of stroke by last follow-up. Importantly, the bypass flow and cut flow index at the time of surgery predicted occlusion in both AD and MMD.

Prospective Comparison of Plasma Biomarker and Traditional Risk Factor Profiles for Incident Isolated Atherosclerotic Disease and Incident Isolated Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

Background: Traditional risk factors for atherosclerotic disease (AD) are well-known, of which some are relevant also for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). The present study compares the importance of plasma biomarkers and traditional risk factor profiles for incident AD without concomitant AAA (isolated AD) and AAA without concomitant AD (isolated AAA) during long-term follow-up.Methods: In the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study—cardiovascular cohort, 5,381 participants were free from atrial fibrillation or flutter, AD (coronary artery disease, atherothrombotic ischemic stroke, carotid artery disease, or peripheral artery disease), and AAA underwent blood sampling under standardized fasting conditions between 1991 and 1994. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) with 95% CIs.Results: During a median follow-up of 23.1 years, 1,152 participants developed isolated AD, and 44 developed isolated AAA. Adjusted HR for lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (mass) (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.14–2.04 vs. HR 1.05, 95% CI.99–1.12) was higher for incident isolated AAA compared to incident isolated AD, respectively. Mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM) was associated with incident isolated AD (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.1–1.25) and incident isolated AAA (HR 1.47, 95% CI 1.15–1.88). MR-proADM was correlated (r = 0.32; p < 0.001) to body mass index (BMI), and BMI was associated with increased risk of incident isolated AAA (HR 1.43, 95% CI 1.02–2). No participant with diabetes mellitus (DM) at baseline developed isolated AAA (0/44), whereas DM was associated with an increased risk of isolated AD (HR 2.57, 95% CI 2.08–3.18). Adjusted HR for male sex (HR 4.8, 95% CI 2.42–9.48, vs. HR 1.76, 95% CI 1.56–1.98) and current smoking (HR 4.79, 95% CI 2.42–9.47 vs. HR 1.97, 95% CI 1.73–2.23) were higher in the incident isolated AAA group compared to the incident isolated AD group, respectively.Conclusions: The data supports the view that components of vascular inflammation and cardiovascular stress drives AAA development, whereas glycated cross-links in abdominal aortic wall tissue may have a plausible role in reducing AAA risk in individuals with DM.

Geometrical Complexity of Cortical Microvascularization in Moyamoya Disease

Dilatation of the microvascular diameter is recognized in moyamoya disease and referred to as microvascularization. The purpose of this study was to characterize the cortical microvascularization in moyamoya disease using imaging analysis, and to explore the developmental mechanism of the collateral network around the cortical surface. A total of 20 hemispheric sides of 14 patients with moyamoya disease were included in this study. From the intraoperative images, cortical surface images were extracted, and binary images were subsequently created. Then the ratio of the microvessels of the brain surface (vascular fraction; VF) and the box-counting fractal dimension (Db) values were calculated. The VF and Db values in the moyamoya disease group were then compared with those in atherosclerotic disease and nonischemic disease groups, and assessed in terms of clinical and radiologic factors. VF was significantly higher in the moyamoya disease group compared with the atherosclerotic disease group, and Db was significantly higher in the moyamoya disease group compared with the atherosclerotic disease and nonischemic disease groups. In the moyamoya disease group, VF showed a moderate correlation with magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) score. Moreover, Db was significantly higher in the pediatric patients, in the presence of ischemic symptoms, and in the presence of ivy sign, and Db showed a moderate correlation with MRA score and cerebral blood flow in moyamoya disease. In the patients with moyamoya disease, the cortical microvascularization exhibited increased Db and dilatation of the pial arteries. In moyamoya disease, cortical microvascularization is associated with clinical and radiologic factors. This microvascularization might be a compensatory mechanism in the ischemic condition in moyamoya disease.

Meandering flow void around the splenium in moyamoya disease

Objectives: Meandering flow void around the splenium, which can be recognized on conventional T2-weighted images, implicates collateral flow in the splenial artery in patients with moyamoya disease. In this report, curves of flow voids around the splenium (SFVs) were evaluated in patients with moyamoya disease, and their diagnostic value and pathophysiology were verified.Methods: A total of 65 consecutive patients with moyamoya disease were included in this analysis. The number of SFV curves was counted on each side. The numbers of SFV curves in patients with moyamoya disease was compared with those in the control group. The clinical features of patients with large numbers of flow voids were analyzed.Results: The mean number of SFVs was significantly higher in the moyamoya disease group than in the control group or the atherosclerotic disease group. The cut-off SFV count for a diagnosis of moyamoya disease should be set to 2.25 in consideration of receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. A multivariate logistic analysis of SFV data in moyamoya disease revealed significant differences between the high SFV count group (≥2.25) and the low SFV count group (<2.25) in age, flow voids in the basal ganglia, and magnetic resonance angiography score of the internal carotid artery and anterior cerebral artery.Conclusion: Based on this study, number of SFV curves on conventional T2-weighted imaging could be a useful measurement for confirming a diagnosis of moyamoya disease. Increased number of SFV curves was associated with age and progress of disease.

Atherosclerotic Disease in Type 2 Diabetes Is Associated With an Increase in Sclerostin Levels

OBJECTIVEWnt/β-catenin signaling is related to the pathogenesis of several diseases. Sclerostin is an inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. However, there are few data regarding the sclerostin levels and vascular disease. Our aim was to examine the relationship between serum sclerostin and atherosclerotic disease (AD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSWe performed a cross-sectional study including 78 T2DM patients (45.3% females, mean age 59 ± 5.7 years; 54.7% males, 57.4 ± 6.7 years).RESULTSSerum sclerostin concentrations of T2DM patients in the AD group were significantly higher than in the non-AD group (P = 0.006). For each increase of 1 pmol/L in sclerostin level, there was a 4% increase of the risk of AD in T2DM patients. A concentration of ≥42.3 pmol/L showed a sensitivity of 69% and a specificity of 54.8% to detect an increased risk of AD. In males, sclerostin levels were higher in those with AD (P = 0.04), abnormal intima-media thickness (IMT) (P = 0.004), carotid plaques (P < 0.001), and aortic calcification (P < 0.001). In females, higher levels of sclerostin were related to abnormal IMT (P = 0.03) and aortic calcifications (P = 0.004). Homocysteine (β = 0.319 [95% CI 0.561–2.586], P = 0.003) and IMT (β = 0.330 [14.237–67.693], P = 0.003) were positively correlated with sclerostin.CONCLUSIONSCirculating sclerostin is increased in T2DM patients with atherosclerotic lesions. Although the sample size of our study was small, these data suggest that sclerostin levels could be a major modulator of Wnt signaling in AD with implications in T2DM patients.

Variación genética y enfermedad aterosclerótica periférica: estudio preliminar

Summary Objective . To define the association between specific genetic variations and peripheral atherosclerotic disease in young patients. Patients and methods . Prospective observational study. Three groups: 50 patients younger than 50 years with peripheral atherosclerotic disease in physical exploration, ankle/arm index and duplex scanning; 240 healthy volunteer control group; 181 coronary disease patients control group (both of them younger than 50 years). Genetic analysis of the gene polymorphisms in the next enzymes: angiotensin-converting, angiotensin type I and II receptor, an-giotensinogen, oxide nitric synthase and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase enzymes, comparing their frequencies in peripheral atherosclerotic disease patients overall and by areas (lower extremities area; lower extremities + abdominal aorta area; lower extremities + abdominal aorta + carotid arteries area) with regard to control groups. Results . No statistically significant difference between healthy control group and peripheral atherosclerotic disease patients overall was observed. By areas a difference in angiotensinogen gene polymorphisms was found: in lower extremity + abdominal aorta + carotid arteries area TT genotype frequency is 66.6% vs 33.3% in healthy control group; p= 0.06). Statistically significant difference between peripheral atherosclerotic disease group vs coronary disease group with regard to angiotensin-converting enzyme gene polymorphism was found: overall (50% DD genotype in coronary patients vs 28% inperipheral atherosclerotic disease patients; p= 0.0063 OR 2.54; 95% IC= 1.28-5.00) and by areas (85.7% ID genotype in lower extremities + abdominal aorta area and 87.5% in lower extremities + abdominal aorta + carotid artery area vs 14.3% and 12.5% in coronary group, respectively; p Conclusions . This is a preliminary study with reduced number ofpatients. A possible genetic predetermination of the atherosclerotic disease initial point (coronary or peripheral arterial disease) is suggested.