Carotid and femoral atherosclerotic plaques show different morphology

• Published in: Atherosclerosis 2011-06, Vol.216 (2), p.348-354
• Main Authors: Herisson, Fanny, Heymann, Marie-Françoise, Chétiveaux, Maud, Charrier, Céline, Battaglia, Séverine, Pilet, Paul, Rouillon, Thierry, Krempf, Michel, Lemarchand, Patricia, Heymann, Dominique, Gouëffic, Yann
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; blood sampling; calcification; calcium; Calcium - metabolism; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular; carotid arteries; Carotid Arteries - physiopathology; cholesterol; Cholesterol - metabolism; Endarterectomy - methods; Female; Femoral Artery - physiopathology; Humans; Immunohistochemistry - methods; lipid content; Lipids; Lipids - chemistry; Male; Medical sciences; metaplasia; Metaplasia - pathology; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning - methods; Middle Aged; patients; Peripheral artery disease; Plaque, Atherosclerotic - physiopathology; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; surgery; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Vascular calcification; Vascular surgery: aorta, extremities, vena cava. Surgery of the lymphatic vessels
• ISSN: 0021-9150; 1879-1484
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2011.02.004

Abstract Objective Results of endovascular repair vary according to the arterial bed. We hypothesized that these differences may be related to the plaque features. To explore this hypothesis, we designed a prospective study that compared carotid and femoral atheroma. Methods and results Patients that underwent femoral or carotid endarterectomy were included in our study. Demographic data and blood sampling were obtained prior to surgery. Plaques were evaluated for AHA grading, calcification and lipid content. Eighty-eight plaques were harvested during this study (45 carotid specimens and 43 femoral specimens). No differences were noted between carotid and femoral groups regarding demographic and biological data. Histological data more frequently showed fibrous cap atheroma in carotid arteries (75%) and fibrocalcific plaques in femoral arteries (93%), p < 0.001. Morphological analyses showed a high prevalence of osteoid metaplasia in femoral arteries (63%) compared to carotid arteries (20%, p < 0.001). Biochemical analyses were consistent with histological data, showing higher calcium and lesser cholesterol concentrations in femoral than in carotid plaques ( p < 0.01). Conclusions Femoral and carotid plaques showed different morphology in comparable groups of patients.