Iron Identified as Possible Marker for Unstable Plaques

The problem with atherosclerosis is that plaques have a wide variety of compositions, which makes the classification of these plaques difficult. The current classification system breaks the plaques into stable and unstable. Unstable plaque run the risk of rupturing, causing blood clots and Myocardial Infarctions, or heart attacks. Approximately 70% of all heart attacks come from unstable plaques. And now, scientists have been able to use CT scans to identify high iron content plaques within patients, which has allowed scientists to correlate the data between iron content and plaque instability.

The presence of iron within a plaque is believed to be a symptom of instability, and not a cause. Small blood vessels called the vasa vasorum bring nutrients to the cell wall, and grow into the plaque. These blood vessels can burst, releasing iron. These plaques have a core of dead cells covered by a fibrous cap, which make them unstable since the cap can burst. To test this correlation, researchers at the Mayo Clinic used autopsies to obtain 97 plaques that they then examined using staining techniques to measure iron. They then found that CT could also detect iron without staining. The correlation was strong enough that they believe in the future it will be used as a marker for unstable plaques. However, at this time the CT does not have a high enough resolution to provide an accurate picture of the iron concentration within people, and further research is being done in imaging techniques.

This post was of interest to me because my grandfather has had 2 heart attacks, and improved methods of heart attack prediction could make life easier for him and others who suffer from atherosclerosis. Also, this relates to the nanobot project, and in the future when plaque destruction becomes more commonplace, this could help determine which patients need it the most, and help save lives by preventing the heart attacks before they happen instead of relying on guesswork.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101115161255.htm