Calcium Distribution in the Vessel Wall and Intima-Media Thickness of the Human Carotid Arteries

Magyar, Mária Tünde; Szikszai, Zita; Kertész, Zsófia; Molnár, Sándor; Uzonyi, Imre; Szíki, Gusztáv Áron; Csiba, László

doi:10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2007.01.017

« Previous Next »Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology
Volume 33, Issue 8 , Pages 1171-1178, August 2007

Calcium Distribution in the Vessel Wall and Intima-Media Thickness of the Human Carotid Arteries

Mária Tünde Magyar
- Department of Neurology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Address correspondence to: Mária Tünde Magyar, M.D., Ph.D, Department of Neurology, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei krt. 98., Debrecen, H-4012, Hungary.
Zita Szikszai
- Institute of Nuclear Research of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Debrecen, Hungary
Zsófia Kertész
- Institute of Nuclear Research of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Debrecen, Hungary
Sándor Molnár
- Department of Neurology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
Imre Uzonyi
- Institute of Nuclear Research of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Debrecen, Hungary
Gusztáv Áron Szíki
- Institute of Nuclear Research of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Debrecen, Hungary
László Csiba
- Department of Neurology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary

Received 27 July 2006; received in revised form 24 January 2007; accepted 31 January 2007. published online 10 May 2007.

Abstract

Increased common carotid artery (CCA) intima-media thickness (IMT) measured by B-mode ultrasound is an early marker of the atherosclerotic process. Arterial calcification is not clearly understood. Using the particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) method, we have looked for the location in the artery wall where calcium accumulated in the early phase of atherosclerosis. Twelve segments of CCAs of deceased stroke patients were investigated. In-vivo, carotid duplex ultrasound was performed with bilateral CCA IMT measurement at plaque-free sections. During autopsy, segments of carotid arteries were collected and filled under pressure with a stained histologic embedding material. The frozen arteries were cut into 60-μm-thick slices. Calcium distribution maps from the segments of arteries were determined by PIXE method. IMT measured by ultrasound and calcium distribution maps measured by PIXE were compared. In our cross-sectional study, using the PIXE analysis and ultrasound images, we could demonstrate early calcium accumulation in the media layer. Our results have also shown a significant relationship between calcium content of distributional maps measured by PIXE analysis and corresponding IMT on B-mode ultrasound images of human CCAs. (E-mail: tundus@dote.hu)

Key Words: Intima-media thickness, Calcium accumulation, Particle induced X-ray emission