High shear stress induces a strain increase in human coronary plaques over a 6-month period

Atherosclerotic plaques develop in low shear stress regions. In the more advanced phase of the disease, plaques are exposed to altered shear stress levels, which could influence plaque composition. We investigated changes in plaque composition in human coronary arteries over a 6-month period and how...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	EuroIntervention Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 121 - 127
Main Authors:	GIJSEN, Frank J. H, MASTIK, Frits, SCHAAR, Johannes A, SCHUURBLERS, Johan C. H, VAN DER GIESSEN, Wim J, DE FEYTER, Pim J, SERRUYS, Patrick W, VAN DER STEEN, Anton F. W, WENTZEL, Jolanda J
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Toulouse Société Europa Edition 01-05-2011
Subjects:	Adult Aged Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research) Biological and medical sciences Blood and lymphatic vessels Cardiology. Vascular system Coronary Artery Disease - pathology Coronary heart disease Coronary Vessels - pathology Female Heart Humans Male Medical sciences Middle Aged Plaque, Atherosclerotic - etiology Stress, Mechanical Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases Sonography High Human coronary artery disease intravascular ultrasound Coronary artery Cardiovascular disease Period Increase palpography Coronary heart disease Strain Vascular disease Atherosclerosis Shear stress Ultrasound
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Summary:	Atherosclerotic plaques develop in low shear stress regions. In the more advanced phase of the disease, plaques are exposed to altered shear stress levels, which could influence plaque composition. We investigated changes in plaque composition in human coronary arteries over a 6-month period and how these changes are related to shear stress. We took images of eight coronary arteries to obtain the 3D shape of the arteries. Lumen data were combined with computational fluid dynamics to obtain shear stress. Palpography was applied to measure strain at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. The change in strain from baseline to follow-up served as a marker for the change in plaque composition. We identified 17 plaques, and each plaque was divided into four regions: the upstream, throat, shoulder and downstream region. Shear stress and strain in the downstream region was significantly lower than in the other regions. There was no significant change in strain for the four different plaque regions. However, we observed that those plaque regions exposed to high shear stress showed a significant increase in strain. Plaque regions exposed to high shear stress showed an increase in strain over time. This indicates that shear stress may modulate plaque composition in human coronary arteries.
ISSN:	1774-024X 1969-6213
DOI:	10.4244/EIJV7I1A20