TY - JOUR
T1 - B-mode ultrasound-detected carotid artery lesions with and without acoustic shadowing and their association with markers of inflammation and endothelial activation
T2 - The atherosclerosis risk in communities study
AU - Hunt, Kelly J.
AU - Pankow, James S.
AU - Offenbacher, Steven
AU - Kritchevsky, Stephen B.
AU - Duncan, Bruce B.
AU - Shahar, Eyal
AU - Sharrett, A. Richey
AU - Heiss, Gerardo
N1 - Funding Information:
Support for this work was provided by National Heart, Lung and Blood Institutes Contracts N01-HC-55015, N01-HC-55016, N01-HC-55017, N01-HC-55018, N01-HC-55019, N01-HC-55020, N01-HC-55021. The research and writing of the manuscript were conducted under the sponsorship of a National Research Service Award (contract 5-T32-HL07055) for the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The authors thank the staff and participants in the ARIC study for their important contributions.
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - In a cross-sectional study of 8695 men and women free of clinical CVD, aged 45-64 years at the 1987-1989 baseline Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study exam, we examined the relationship between carotid artery lesions (CALs), with and without acoustic shadowing (AS) as an index of plaque mineralization, to systemic markers of inflammation and markers of endothelial function, including endothelial adhesion molecules. A three-level variable, based on the presence of extracranial CALs and AS, identified by B-mode ultrasound of six 1 cm arterial segments, defined the outcome. Among subjects without evidence of AS, after controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, study site, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, and smoking status, CALs were associated with systemic markers of inflammation, including higher levels of fibrinogen [OR = 1.24 (95% CI: 1.09, 1.40)] and white blood cell count [OR = 1.37 (95% CI: 1.21, 1.56)]. Among subjects with a CAL, after controlling for the above risk factors as well as mean far wall intima-media thickness, AS was associated with higher levels of von Willebrand factor [OR = 1.38 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.74)], a marker of endothelial activation. Associations with endothelial adhesion molecules were inconsistent. Further studies aimed at elucidating the mechanisms of arterial mineralization are warranted.
AB - In a cross-sectional study of 8695 men and women free of clinical CVD, aged 45-64 years at the 1987-1989 baseline Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study exam, we examined the relationship between carotid artery lesions (CALs), with and without acoustic shadowing (AS) as an index of plaque mineralization, to systemic markers of inflammation and markers of endothelial function, including endothelial adhesion molecules. A three-level variable, based on the presence of extracranial CALs and AS, identified by B-mode ultrasound of six 1 cm arterial segments, defined the outcome. Among subjects without evidence of AS, after controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, study site, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, and smoking status, CALs were associated with systemic markers of inflammation, including higher levels of fibrinogen [OR = 1.24 (95% CI: 1.09, 1.40)] and white blood cell count [OR = 1.37 (95% CI: 1.21, 1.56)]. Among subjects with a CAL, after controlling for the above risk factors as well as mean far wall intima-media thickness, AS was associated with higher levels of von Willebrand factor [OR = 1.38 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.74)], a marker of endothelial activation. Associations with endothelial adhesion molecules were inconsistent. Further studies aimed at elucidating the mechanisms of arterial mineralization are warranted.
KW - Acoustic shadowing
KW - Carotid arteries
KW - Endothelial activation
KW - Inflammation
KW - Ultrasonography
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U2 - 10.1016/S0021-9150(01)00676-1
DO - 10.1016/S0021-9150(01)00676-1
M3 - Article
C2 - 11947908
AN - SCOPUS:0036223517
SN - 0021-9150
VL - 162
SP - 145
EP - 155
JO - Atherosclerosis
JF - Atherosclerosis
IS - 1
ER -