Carotid Intraplaque Neovascularization Predicts Ischemic Stroke Recurrence in Patients with Carotid Atherosclerosis

Embolic strokes of undetermined source: a clinical consensus statement of the ESC Council on Stroke, the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging and the European Heart Rhythm Association of the ESC

One in six ischaemic stroke patients has an embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS), defined as a stroke with unclear aetiology despite recommended diagnostic evaluation. The overall cardiovascular risk of ESUS is high and it is important to optimize strategies to prevent recurrent stroke and other cardiovascular events. The aim of clinicians when confronted with a patient not only with ESUS but also with any other medical condition of unclear aetiology is to identify the actual cause amongst a list of potential differential diagnoses, in order to optimize secondary prevention. However, specifically in ESUS, this may be challenging as multiple potential thromboembolic sources frequently coexist. Also, it can be delusively reassuring because despite the implementation of specific treatments for the individual pathology presumed to be the actual thromboembolic source, patients can still be vulnerable to stroke and other cardiovascular events caused by other pathologies already identified during the index diagnostic evaluation but whose thromboembolic potential was underestimated. Therefore, rather than trying to presume which particular mechanism is the actual embolic source in an ESUS patient, it is important to assess the overall thromboembolic risk of the patient through synthesis of the individual risks linked to all pathologies present, regardless if presumed causally associated or not. In this paper, a multi-disciplinary panel of clinicians/researchers from various backgrounds of expertise and specialties (cardiology, internal medicine, neurology, radiology and vascular surgery) proposes a comprehensive multi-dimensional assessment of the overall thromboembolic risk in ESUS patients through the composition of individual risks associated with all prevalent pathologies.

Carotid stenosis and cryptogenic stroke

OBJECTIVES

Cryptogenic stroke represents a type of ischemic stroke with an unknown origin, presenting a significant challenge in both stroke management and prevention. According to the Trial of Org 10,172 in Acute Stroke Treatment criteria, a stroke is categorized as being caused by large artery atherosclerosis only when there is >50% luminal narrowing of the ipsilateral internal carotid artery. However, nonstenosing carotid artery plaques can be an underlying cause of ischemic stroke. Indeed, emerging evidence documents that some features of plaque vulnerability may act as an independent risk factor, regardless of the degree of stenosis, in precipitating cerebrovascular events. This review, drawing from an array of imaging-based studies, explores the predictive values of carotid imaging modalities in the detection of nonstenosing carotid plaque (<50%), that could be the cause of a cerebrovascular event when some features of vulnerability are present.

METHODS

Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed were searched for articles on cryptogenic stroke and those reporting the association between cryptogenic stroke and imaging features of carotid plaque vulnerability.

RESULTS

Despite extensive diagnostic evaluations, the etiology of a considerable proportion of strokes remains undetermined, contributing to the recurrence rate and persistent morbidity in affected individuals. Advances in imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography scans, and ultrasound examination, facilitate more accurate detection of nonstenosing carotid artery plaque and allow better stratification of stroke risk, leading to a more tailored treatment strategy.

CONCLUSIONS

Early detection of nonstenosing carotid plaque with features of vulnerability through carotid imaging techniques impacts the clinical management of cryptogenic stroke, resulting in refined stroke subtype classification and improved patient management. Additional research is required to validate these findings and recommend the integration of these state-of-the-art imaging methodologies into standard diagnostic protocols to improve stroke management and prevention.

Study on the Consistency of Angiogenesis in Carotid Plaque Evaluated by Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound and Superb Microvascular Imaging and Its Correlation With Stroke Occurrence

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to investigate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and superb microvascular imaging (SMI) in evaluating angiogenesis in carotid artery plaques and prognosis in stroke patients.

METHODS

Sixty-one patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaques were selected. All patients received conventional ultrasound, CEUS, and SMI examination, including 32 patients with cerebral infarction and 29 patients without cerebral infarction. The results of CEUS and SMI neovascularization of patients were graded 0, 1, and 2 points according to the image characteristics. The consistency between SMI results and CEUS results was evaluated, and the differences in neovascularization in carotid plaques between patients with cerebral infarction and those without cerebral infarction were compared.

RESULTS

SMI showed that the neovascularization score in plaque was 0 point in 13 cases, 1 point in 24 cases, and 2 points in 24 cases. There were no significant differences in age, sex, plaque size, or echo between the two groups. There was no significant difference between the SMI and CEUS results, P > .05. The CEUS neovascularization grade of patients with cerebral infarction had a higher score, which was significantly different from that of patients without cerebral infarction, P < .05. The SMI neovascularization grade of patients with cerebral infarction had a higher score, which was significantly different from that of patients without cerebral infarction, P < .05.

CONCLUSION

SMI can show neovascularization in plaques, with a significantly higher grade of neovascularization in those of patients with cerebral infarction than in those without cerebral infarction.

The differences between carotid web and carotid web with plaque: based on multimodal ultrasonic and clinical characteristics

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the clinical and multimodal ultrasonic characteristics differences between carotid web (CW) and CW with plaque as well as the potential risk factors for stroke caused by CW.

METHODS

We retrospectively enrolled patients diagnosed with CW by CTA or high-resolution MRI (HRMRI) and simultaneously underwent contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and superb microvascular imaging examinations from January 2015 to October 2022. The CW angle was measured using computer-aided software. The variations between CW and CW with plaque were evaluated, and univariable and multivariable logistic regressions were utilized to identify possible risk predictors for stroke caused by CW.

RESULTS

Two hundred ninety-nine patients with an average age of 60.85 (± 8.77) years were included. Sex, age, history of smoking, alcohol, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, homocysteine level, and treatment, as well as web length and thickness, luminal stenosis, location wall, number, CW angle, and CEUS enhancement, were quite different among CW and CW with plaque patients (p < 0.05). The logistic regression analysis showed that web length was an independent predictor of luminal stenosis in CW patients. For patients with CW and plaque, plaque and web thickness, as well as plaque enhancement, were associated with stenosis. Furthermore, luminal stenosis and plaque length were risk factors for symptoms.

CONCLUSION

The multimodal ultrasonic and clinical manifestations of CW and CW with plaque are quite different. Web length is an independent risk factor for carotid artery stenosis in CW patients, whereas luminal stenosis and plaque length were risk factors for symptoms in CW with plaque patients.

CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT

Exploring the similarities and differences between the carotid web and the carotid web with plaque, based on the stereo-geometric spatial position relationship and hemodynamic changes, may provide further insights into the underlying mechanisms of stroke occurrence caused by the carotid web.

KEY POINTS

1. Multimodal ultrasonic and clinical manifestations of carotid web and carotid web with plaque are substantially different. 2. A thin triangular endoluminal defect is identified as a typical feature of the web on superb microvascular imaging, and two kinds of typical ultrasonic features of CW with plaque are also identified. 3. Web length is an independent risk factor for carotid stenosis in carotid web patients, whereas luminal stenosis and plaque length are risk factors for symptoms in patients with CW and plaque.

An interpretable machine learning model for stroke recurrence in patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic arterial stenosis

Background and objective

Symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (SICAS) is the most common etiology of ischemic stroke and one of the main causes of high stroke recurrence. The recurrence of stroke is closely related to the prognosis of ischemic stroke. This study aims to develop a machine learning model based on high-resolution vessel wall imaging (HR-VWI) to predict the risk of stroke recurrence in SICAS.

Methods

This study retrospectively collected data from 180 SICAS stroke patients treated at the hospital between 2020.01 and 2022.01. Relevant imaging and clinical data were collected, and follow-up was conducted. The dataset was divided into a training set and a validation set in a ratio of 7:3. We employed the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression to perform a selection on the baseline data, laboratory tests, and neuroimaging data generated by HR-VWI scans collected from the training set. Finally, five machine learning techniques, including logistic regression model (LR), support vector machine (SVM), Gaussian naive Bayes (GNB), Complement naive Bayes (CNB), and k-nearest neighbors algorithm (kNN), were employed to develop a predictive model for stroke recurrence. Shapley Additive Explanation (SHAP) was used to provide visualization and interpretation for each patient. The model's effectiveness was evaluated using average accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, f1 score, PR curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis.

Results

LASSO analysis revealed that "history of hypertension," "homocysteine level," "NWI value," "stenosis rate," "intracranial hemorrhage," "positive remodeling," and "enhancement grade" were independent risk factors for stroke recurrence in SICAS patients. In 10-fold cross-validation, the area under the curve (AUC) ranged from 0.813 to 0.912 in ROC curve analysis. The area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC) ranged from 0.655 to 0.833, with the Gaussian Naive Bayes (GNB) model exhibiting the best ability to predict stroke recurrence in SICAS. SHAP analysis provided interpretability for the machine learning model and revealed essential factors related to the risk of stroke recurrence in SICAS.

Conclusion

A precise machine learning-based prediction model for stroke recurrence in SICAS has been established to assist clinical practitioners in making clinical decisions and implementing personalized treatment measures.

Protocatechuic aldehyde increases pericyte coverage and mitigates pericyte damage to enhance the atherosclerotic plaque stability

Pericyte dysfunction and loss contribute substantially to the destabilization and rupture of atherosclerotic plaques. Protocatechuic aldehyde (PCAD), a natural polyphenol, exerts anti-atherosclerotic effects. However, the effects and mechanisms of this polyphenol on pericyte recruitment, coverage, and pericyte function remain unknown. We here treated apolipoprotein E-deficient mice having high-fat diet-induced atherosclerosis with PCAD. PCAD achieved therapeutic effects similar to rosuvastatin in lowering lipid levels and thus preventing atherosclerosis progression. With PCAD administration, plaque phenotype exhibited higher stability with markedly reduced lesion vulnerability, which is characterized by reduced lipid content and macrophage accumulation, and a consequent increase in collagen deposition. PCAD therapy increased pericyte coverage in the plaques, reduced VEGF-A production, and inhibited intraplaque neovascularization. PCAD promoted pericyte proliferation, adhesion, and migration to mitigate ox-LDL-induced pericyte dysfunction, which thus maintained the capillary network structure and stability. Furthermore, TGFBR1 silencing partially reversed the protective effect exerted by PCAD on human microvascular pericytes. PCAD increased pericyte coverage and impeded ox-LDL-induced damages through TGF-β1/TGFBR1/Smad2/3 signaling. All these novel findings indicated that PCAD increases pericyte coverage and alleviates pericyte damage to improve the stability of atherosclerotic plaques, which is accomplished by regulating TGF-β1/TGFBR1/Smad2/3 signaling in pericytes.

Computed tomography angiography-based radiomics model for predicting carotid atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability

Vulnerable carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CAP) significantly contributes to ischemic stroke. Neovascularization within plaques is an emerging biomarker linked to plaque vulnerability that can be detected using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Computed tomography angiography (CTA) is a common method used in clinical cerebrovascular assessments that can be employed to evaluate the vulnerability of CAPs. Radiomics is a technique that automatically extracts radiomic features from images. This study aimed to identify radiomic features associated with the neovascularization of CAP and construct a prediction model for CAP vulnerability based on radiomic features. CTA data and clinical data of patients with CAPs who underwent CTA and CEUS between January 2018 and December 2021 in Beijing Hospital were retrospectively collected. The data were divided into a training cohort and a testing cohort using a 7:3 split. According to the examination of CEUS, CAPs were dichotomized into vulnerable and stable groups. 3D Slicer software was used to delineate the region of interest in CTA images, and the Pyradiomics package was used to extract radiomic features in Python. Machine learning algorithms containing logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), light gradient boosting machine (LGBM), adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and multi-layer perception (MLP) were used to construct the models. The confusion matrix, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, accuracy, precision, recall, and f-1 score were used to evaluate the performance of the models. A total of 74 patients with 110 CAPs were included. In all, 1,316 radiomic features were extracted, and 10 radiomic features were selected for machine-learning model construction. After evaluating several models on the testing cohorts, it was discovered that model_RF outperformed the others, achieving an AUC value of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.88-0.99). The accuracy, precision, recall, and f-1 score of model_RF in the testing cohort were 0.85, 0.87, 0.85, and 0.85, respectively. Radiomic features associated with the neovascularization of CAP were obtained. Our study highlights the potential of radiomics-based models for improving the accuracy and efficiency of diagnosing vulnerable CAP. In particular, the model_RF, utilizing radiomic features extracted from CTA, provides a noninvasive and efficient method for accurately predicting the vulnerability status of CAP. This model shows great potential for offering clinical guidance for early detection and improving patient outcomes.

Novel ultrasound techniques in the identification of vulnerable plaques-an updated review of the literature

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease partly mediated by lipoproteins. The rupture of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques and thrombosis are major contributors to the development of acute cardiovascular events. Despite various advances in the treatment of atherosclerosis, there has been no satisfaction in the prevention and assessment of atherosclerotic vascular disease. The identification and classification of vulnerable plaques at an early stage as well as research of new treatments remain a challenge and the ultimate goal in the management of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. The specific morphological features of vulnerable plaques, including intraplaque hemorrhage, large lipid necrotic cores, thin fibrous caps, inflammation, and neovascularisation, make it possible to identify and characterize plaques with a variety of invasive and non-invasive imaging techniques. Notably, the development of novel ultrasound techniques has introduced the traditional assessment of plaque echogenicity and luminal stenosis to a deeper assessment of plaque composition and the molecular field. This review will discuss the advantages and limitations of five currently available ultrasound imaging modalities for assessing plaque vulnerability, based on the biological characteristics of the vulnerable plaque, and their value in terms of clinical diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment efficacy assessment.

Value of Intraplaque Neovascularization on Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography in Predicting Ischemic Stroke Recurrence in Patients With Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque

OBJECTIVE

Patients with a history of ischemic stroke are at risk for a second ischemic stroke. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between carotid plaque enhancement on perfluorobutane microbubble contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) and future recurrent stroke, and to determine whether plaque enhancement can contribute to risk assessment for recurrent stroke compared with the Essen Stroke Risk Score (ESRS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective study screened 151 patients with recent ischemic stroke and carotid atherosclerotic plaques at our hospital between August 2020 and December 2020. A total of 149 eligible patients underwent carotid CEUS, and 130 patients who were followed up for 15-27 months or until stroke recurrence were analyzed. Plaque enhancement on CEUS was investigated as a possible risk factor for stroke recurrence and as a possible adjunct to ESRS.

RESULTS

During follow-up, 25 patients (19.2%) experienced recurrent stroke. Patients with plaque enhancement on CEUS had an increased risk of stroke recurrence events (22/73, 30.1%) compared to those without plaque enhancement (3/57, 5.3%), with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 38.264 (95% confidence interval [CI]:14.975-97.767; P < 0.001) according to a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model analysis, indicating that the presence of carotid plaque enhancement was a significant independent predictor of recurrent stroke. When plaque enhancement was added to the ESRS, the HR for stroke recurrence in the high-risk group compared to that in the low-risk group (2.188; 95% CI, 0.025-3.388) was greater than that of the ESRS alone (1.706; 95% CI, 0.810-9.014). A net of 32.0% of the recurrence group was reclassified upward appropriately by the addition of plaque enhancement to the ESRS.

CONCLUSION

Carotid plaque enhancement was a significant and independent predictor of stroke recurrence in patients with ischemic stroke. Furthermore, the addition of plaque enhancement improved the risk stratification capability of the ESRS.

Association between Carotid Intraplaque Neovascularization Detected by Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound and the Progression of Coronary Lesions in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

BACKGROUND

It is thought that the progression of vulnerable plaque is due in part to neovascularization, and plaque vulnerability is a useful approach for classifying cardiovascular risk. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the correlation between carotid intraplaque neovascularization (IPN) detected on contrast-enhanced ultrasound and the progression of coronary lesions in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound and angiography were performed in 131 patients undergoing PCI. All patients had angiograms obtained ≥12 months after PCI, and progression was defined using those angiograms. On the basis of angiographic images, patients were divided into progression and nonprogression groups. IPN was graded from 0 to 3 according to each plaque's microbubble appearance and extent, detected using contrast-enhanced ultrasound. The plaque with the highest IPN was used for analysis. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analyses were applied to evaluate risk factors for predicting the progression of coronary lesions in patients undergoing PCI.

RESULTS

In the progression group, the numbers of patients with IPN values of 0, 1, 2, and 3 were one (3.3%), nine (30.0%), 16 (53.3%), and four (13.3%), respectively. Significant differences were found in maximum plaque height and IPN between groups. IPN and maximum plaque height were independent risk contributors to coronary lesion progression in patients undergoing PCI. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of IPN of 1.5 and to predict the progression of coronary lesions were 67%, 91%, 68%, and 89%, respectively. The area under the curve was 0.822.

CONCLUSIONS

Carotid plaque neovascularization was correlated with the progression of coronary lesions in patients undergoing PCI. IPN is a clinically useful tool for detecting the progression of coronary lesions and for risk stratification, especially in patients >60 years old.

Multimodal ultrasound-based carotid plaque risk biomarkers predict poor functional outcome in patients with ischemic stroke or TIA

BACKGROUND

Carotid vulnerable plaque is an important risk factor for stroke occurrence and recurrence. However, the relationship between risk parameters related to carotid vulnerable plaque (plaque size, echogenicity, intraplaque neovascularization, and plaque stiffness) and neurological outcome after ischemic stroke or TIA is unclear. This study investigates the value of multimodal ultrasound-based carotid plaque risk biomarkers to predict poor short-term functional outcome after ischemic stroke or TIA.

METHODS

This study was a single-center, prospective, continuous, cohort study to observe the occurrence of adverse functional outcomes (mRS 2-6/3-6) 90 days after ischemic stroke or TIA in patients, where the exposure factors in this study were carotid plaque ultrasound risk biomarkers and the risk factors were sex, age, disease history, and medication history. Patients with ischemic stroke or TIA (mRS ≤3) whose ipsilateral internal carotid artery stenosis was ≥50% within 30 days were included. All patients underwent multimodal ultrasound at baseline, including conventional ultrasound, superb microvascular imaging (SMI), and shear wave elastography (SWE). Continuous variables were divided into four groups at interquartile spacing for inclusion in univariate and multifactorial analyses. After completion of a baseline ultrasound, all patients were followed up at 90 days after ultrasound, and patient modified neurological function scores (mRSs) were recorded. Multivariate Cox regression and ROC curves were used to assess the risk factors and predictive power for predicting poor neurological function.

RESULTS

SMI revealed that 20 (30.8%) patients showed extensive neovascularization in the carotid plaque, and 45 (69.2%) patients showed limited neovascularization in the carotid plaque. SWE imaging showed that the mean carotid plaque stiffness was 51.49 ± 18.34 kPa (23.19-111.39 kPa). After a mean follow-up of 90 ± 14 days, a total of 21 (32.3%) patients had a mRS of 2-6, and a total of 10 (15.4%) patients had a mRS of 3-6. Cox regression analysis showed that the level of intraplaque neovascularization and plaque stiffness were independent risk factors for a mRS of 2-6, and the level of intraplaque neovascularization was an independent risk factor for a mRS of 3-6. After correcting for confounders, the HR of intraplaque neovascularization level and plaque stiffness predicting a mRS 2-6 was 3.06 (95% CI 1.05-12.59, P = 0.041) and 0.51 (95% CI 0.31-0.83, P = 0.007), respectively; the HR of intraplaque neovascularization level predicting a mRS 3-6 was 6.11 (95% CI 1.19-31.45, P = 0.031). For ROC curve analysis, the mRSs for intraplaque neovascularization level, plaque stiffness, and combined application to predict 90-day neurological outcome ranged from 2 to 6, with AUCs of 0.73 (95% CI 0.59-0.87), 0.76 (95% CI 0.64-0.89) and 0.85 (95% CI 0.76-0.95), respectively. The mRSs for the intraplaque neovascularization level to predict 90-day neurological outcome ranged from 3 to 6, with AUCs of 0.79 (95% CI 0.63-0.95).

CONCLUSION

Intraplaque neovascularization level and plaque stiffness may be associated with an increased risk of poor short-term functional outcome after stroke in patients with recent anterior circulation ischemic stroke due to carotid atherosclerosis. The combined application of multiple parameters has efficacy in predicting poor short-term functional outcome after stroke.

Advances in Noninvasive Carotid Wall Imaging with Ultrasound: A Narrative Review

Carotid atherosclerosis is a major cause for stroke, with significant associated disease burden morbidity and mortality in Western societies. Diagnosis, grading and follow-up of carotid atherosclerotic disease relies on imaging, specifically ultrasound (US) as the initial modality of choice. Traditionally, the degree of carotid lumen stenosis was considered the sole risk factor to predict brain ischemia. However, modern research has shown that a variety of other imaging biomarkers, such as plaque echogenicity, surface morphology, intraplaque neovascularization and vasa vasorum contribute to the risk for rupture of carotid atheromas with subsequent cerebrovascular events. Furthermore, the majority of embolic strokes of undetermined origin are probably arteriogenic and are associated with nonstenosing atheromas. Therefore, a state-of-the-art US scan of the carotid arteries should take advantage of recent technical developments and should provide detailed information about potential thrombogenic (/) and emboligenic arterial wall features. This manuscript reviews recent advances in ultrasonographic assessment of vulnerable carotid atherosclerotic plaques and highlights the fields of future development in multiparametric arterial wall imaging, in an attempt to convey the most important take-home messages for clinicians performing carotid ultrasound.

Predictive value of the combination between the intracranial arterial culprit plaque characteristics and the Essen Stroke Risk Score for short-term stroke recurrence

AIM

In the current study we aim the identification of the culprit plaque characteristics of intracranial arteries using high-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging (HR-MR-VWI). Moreover, we target the evaluation of the predictive value of culprit plaque characteristics for short-term stroke recurrence combined with ESRS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a prospective cohort study on 342 patients diagnosed with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (sICAS), out of which 243 were men and 99 were women with an average age of 64 ± 12 years. 184 cases of anterior circulation ischemia (ACIS) and 158 cases of posterior circulation ischemia (PCIS) were included in the study. All of them underwent HR-MR-VWI during the period between February 2020 and June 2021 in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China. The culprit vessel and culprit plaque characteristics were assessed based on HR-MR-VWI images, and the patients' ESRS were obtained from the electronic medical records of the hospital. Concerning the obtained results from the 6-month follow-up, the patients were divided into the non-recurrence group and the recurrence group, and the differences in the above-mentioned features between the two groups were compared. The univariate Cox regression analysis combined with ESRS was performed to screen out the independent risk factors associated with recurrent stroke with P < 0.1. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC curves) were plotted to analyze the predictive performance of the culprit plaque characteristics, ESRS and combined variables for stroke recurrence. We used the area under the curve (AUC) ROC, while the sensitivity and specificity were calculated at the optimal threshold. The Delong test was employed to compare the quality of the AUC of the predictors.

RESULTS

A total of 15.5% (53/342) of patients had a stroke recurrence within six months, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) between the two groups regarding the ESRS, medical history of diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, data for previous acute ischemic stroke (AIS) or transient ischemic attack(TIA), history of peripheral vascular disease, and serum brain natriuretic peptide level. In the patients with ACIS, the incidence of hyperintensity on the T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) was significantly different between the recurrence and the non-recurrence groups (P < 0.05). In the patients with PCIS, statistically significant differences between the recurrence and the non-recurrence group were detected in the culprit plaque burden, degree of enhancement, and incidence of hyperintensity on T1WI (P < 0.05). The ESRS (hazard ratios [HR], 1.598, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.193-2.141, P = 0.002) ,degree of enhancement (HR = 1.764, 95% CI 0.985-3.087, P = 0.047) and hyperintensity on T1WI (HR = 2.745, 95% CI 1.373-5.488, P = 0.004) proved to be independent risk factors for stroke recurrence. The ESRS predicted stroke recurrence with AUC = 0.618 (95% CI 0.564-0.670), while the best cut-off value was 2 points. Furthermore, the registered sensitivity and specificity were 60.4% and 58.5%, respectively. Regarding the degree of enhancement in the culprit plaque, the prediction of stroke recurrence was with AUC = 0.628 (95% CI 0.574-0.679) as well as with sensitivities and specificities of 58.5% and 64.4%, respectively. Regarding the hyperintensity on T1WI in culprit plaque, the prediction of stroke recurrence was with AUC = 0.678 (95% CI 0.626-0.727) as well as with sensitivities and specificities of 66.0% and 70.0%, respectively. The ESRS combined with the degree of enhancement predicted stroke recurrence with an AUC = 0.685 (95CI% 0.633-0.734), while the recorded sensitivity and specificity were 56.6% and 73.4%, respectively. The ESRS combined with hyperintensity on the T1WI predicted stroke recurrence with an AUC = 0.745 (95CI% 0.696-0.791). The recorded sensitivity and specificity were 64.2% and 76.8%, respectively. The AUC quality of the ESRS combined with hyperintensity on T1WI was higher than that of other indices (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The hyperintensity on T1WI of the culprit plaque in intracranial arteries combined with ESRS demonstrated better predictive ability for short-term stroke recurrence. We consider this of high importance for clinical application since it provides an easier way of obtaining data for precise diagnosis.

The Relationship between Intracarotid Plaque Neovascularization and Lp (a) and Lp-PLA2 in Elderly Patients with Carotid Plaque Stenosis

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between carotid plaque neovascularization and lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)], lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) in elderly patients with carotid plaque stenosis. One hundred elderly patients with carotid plaque stenosis diagnosed in our hospital from January 2020 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed and divided into stable (n = 62) and unstable (n = 38) groups according to whether the plaque was stable or not. Plasma Lp (a), Lp-PLA2, apoA, and apoB levels were measured; intraplaque angiogenesis (IPN) scores were examined by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to assess IPN grade in patients; and Pearson correlation was used to analyze the relationship between plasma Lp (a) and Lp-PLA2 levels and plaque characteristics and angiogenesis. The maximum thickness and total thickness of carotid plaque in the unstable group were significantly greater than those in the stable group (P < 0.05); the IPN grade was mainly grade III and IV in the unstable group and grade II in the stable group, and the IPN score was significantly higher in the unstable group than in the stable group (P < 0.05); there was no significant difference in the plasma apoA and apoB levels between the two groups (P > 0.05), and the plasma Lp (a) and Lp-PLA2 levels were significantly higher in the unstable group than in the stable group (P < 0.05); the neovascular grade, plasma Lp-PLA2, and Lp (a) levels were significantly increased (P < 0.05); the plasma Lp (a) and Lp-PLA2 levels were positively correlated with the maximum plaque thickness, total plaque thickness, degree of stenosis, and angiogenesis (P < 0.05). The plasma levels of Lp (a) and Lp-PLA2 are positively correlated with intraplaque angiogenesis, and their levels can reflect the stability of carotid plaques.