Evaluation of Plaque Characteristics and Inflammation Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease of large and medium-sized arteries, characterized by the growth of atherosclerotic lesions (plaques). These plaques often develop at inner curvatures of arteries, branchpoints, and bifurcations, where the endothelial wall shear stress is low and oscillatory...
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Biomedicines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/9/2/185 |
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| author | Kristina Andelovic Patrick Winter Peter Michael Jakob Wolfgang Rudolf Bauer Volker Herold Alma Zernecke |
| author_facet | Kristina Andelovic Patrick Winter Peter Michael Jakob Wolfgang Rudolf Bauer Volker Herold Alma Zernecke |
| author_sort | Kristina Andelovic |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease of large and medium-sized arteries, characterized by the growth of atherosclerotic lesions (plaques). These plaques often develop at inner curvatures of arteries, branchpoints, and bifurcations, where the endothelial wall shear stress is low and oscillatory. In conjunction with other processes such as lipid deposition, biomechanical factors lead to local vascular inflammation and plaque growth. There is also evidence that low and oscillatory shear stress contribute to arterial remodeling, entailing a loss in arterial elasticity and, therefore, an increased pulse-wave velocity. Although altered shear stress profiles, elasticity and inflammation are closely intertwined and critical for plaque growth, preclinical and clinical investigations for atherosclerosis mostly focus on the investigation of one of these parameters only due to the experimental limitations. However, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been demonstrated to be a potent tool which can be used to provide insights into a large range of biological parameters in one experimental session. It enables the evaluation of the dynamic process of atherosclerotic lesion formation without the need for harmful radiation. Flow-sensitive MRI provides the assessment of hemodynamic parameters such as wall shear stress and pulse wave velocity which may replace invasive and radiation-based techniques for imaging of the vascular function and the characterization of early plaque development. In combination with inflammation imaging, the analyses and correlations of these parameters could not only significantly advance basic preclinical investigations of atherosclerotic lesion formation and progression, but also the diagnostic clinical evaluation for early identification of high-risk plaques, which are prone to rupture. In this review, we summarize the key applications of magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of plaque characteristics through flow sensitive and morphological measurements. The simultaneous measurements of functional and structural parameters will further preclinical research on atherosclerosis and has the potential to fundamentally improve the detection of inflammation and vulnerable plaques in patients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:57:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5f79a072350a48bd9c986ee7b88638f2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9059 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:57:37Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biomedicines |
| spelling | doaj.art-5f79a072350a48bd9c986ee7b88638f22023-12-11T16:49:52ZengMDPI AGBiomedicines2227-90592021-02-019218510.3390/biomedicines9020185Evaluation of Plaque Characteristics and Inflammation Using Magnetic Resonance ImagingKristina Andelovic0Patrick Winter1Peter Michael Jakob2Wolfgang Rudolf Bauer3Volker Herold4Alma Zernecke5Institute of Experimental Biomedicine, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, GermanyExperimental Physics V, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, GermanyExperimental Physics V, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, GermanyInternal Medicine I, Cardiology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, GermanyExperimental Physics V, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, GermanyInstitute of Experimental Biomedicine, University Hospital Würzburg, 97080 Würzburg, GermanyAtherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease of large and medium-sized arteries, characterized by the growth of atherosclerotic lesions (plaques). These plaques often develop at inner curvatures of arteries, branchpoints, and bifurcations, where the endothelial wall shear stress is low and oscillatory. In conjunction with other processes such as lipid deposition, biomechanical factors lead to local vascular inflammation and plaque growth. There is also evidence that low and oscillatory shear stress contribute to arterial remodeling, entailing a loss in arterial elasticity and, therefore, an increased pulse-wave velocity. Although altered shear stress profiles, elasticity and inflammation are closely intertwined and critical for plaque growth, preclinical and clinical investigations for atherosclerosis mostly focus on the investigation of one of these parameters only due to the experimental limitations. However, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been demonstrated to be a potent tool which can be used to provide insights into a large range of biological parameters in one experimental session. It enables the evaluation of the dynamic process of atherosclerotic lesion formation without the need for harmful radiation. Flow-sensitive MRI provides the assessment of hemodynamic parameters such as wall shear stress and pulse wave velocity which may replace invasive and radiation-based techniques for imaging of the vascular function and the characterization of early plaque development. In combination with inflammation imaging, the analyses and correlations of these parameters could not only significantly advance basic preclinical investigations of atherosclerotic lesion formation and progression, but also the diagnostic clinical evaluation for early identification of high-risk plaques, which are prone to rupture. In this review, we summarize the key applications of magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of plaque characteristics through flow sensitive and morphological measurements. The simultaneous measurements of functional and structural parameters will further preclinical research on atherosclerosis and has the potential to fundamentally improve the detection of inflammation and vulnerable plaques in patients.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/9/2/185atherosclerosismouse modelswall shear stresspulse wave velocityarterial elasticityinflammation |
| spellingShingle | Kristina Andelovic Patrick Winter Peter Michael Jakob Wolfgang Rudolf Bauer Volker Herold Alma Zernecke Evaluation of Plaque Characteristics and Inflammation Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging Biomedicines atherosclerosis mouse models wall shear stress pulse wave velocity arterial elasticity inflammation |
| title | Evaluation of Plaque Characteristics and Inflammation Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| title_full | Evaluation of Plaque Characteristics and Inflammation Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of Plaque Characteristics and Inflammation Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of Plaque Characteristics and Inflammation Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| title_short | Evaluation of Plaque Characteristics and Inflammation Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging |
| title_sort | evaluation of plaque characteristics and inflammation using magnetic resonance imaging |
| topic | atherosclerosis mouse models wall shear stress pulse wave velocity arterial elasticity inflammation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/9/2/185 |
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