Angiographic progression of coronary artery disease and the development of myocardial infarction
J. A. Ambrose, M. A. Tannenbaum, D. Alexopoulos, C. E. Hjemdahl-Monsen, J. Leavy, M. Weiss, S. Borrico, R. Gorlin, V. Fuster

This paper is of particular importance because it questions an often-made assumption: are angiographically more severe lesions more likely to cause an occlusion? Or put another way, can one predict the location of a future myocardial infarction from angiographic data?...

Multiple complex coronary plaques in patients with acute myocardial infarction
J. A. Goldstein, D. Demetriou , C. L. Grines, M. Pica, M. Shoukfeh, W. W. O’Neill

Patients with acute myocardial infarction who have multiple unstable coronary plaques have a poorer prognosis compared with those with a single unstable plaque...

Characterization of plaque components with intravascular ultrasound elastography in human femoral and coronary arteries in vitro
C. L. de Korte, G. Pasterkamp, A. F. van der Steen, H. A. Woutman, N. Bom

Intravascular elastography is exploited by the authors of this paper essentially with the aim of providing a surrogate for histological analysis of atherosclerotic plaques...

Serum from patients with acute coronary syndromes displays a proapoptotic effect on human endothelial cells: a possible link to pan-coronary syndromes
M. Valgimigli, L. Agnoletti, S. Curello, L. Comini, G. Francolini, F. Mastrorilli, E. Merli, R. Pirani, G. Guardigli , P. G. Grigolato, R. Ferrari

Which factors cause a stable plaque to be transformed into an unstable one is unclear. The presence of multiple unstable lesions in different vessels supports the notion of a generalized inflammatory process...

Characterizing vulnerable plaque features with intravascular elastography
J. A. Schaar, C. L. de Korte, F. Mastik, C. Strijder, G. Pasterkamp, E. Boersma, P. W. Serruys, A. F. van der Steen

In this paper, the authors’ aim is to demonstrate a way of reliably assessing the future risk of rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque...

Lessons from sudden coronary death: a comprehensive morphological classification scheme for atherosclerotic lesions
R. Virmani, F. D. Kolodgie, A. P. Burke, A. Farb, S. M. Schwartz

Virmani et al present their reinterpretation and refinement of the American Heart Association (AHA) classification of atherosclerotic lesions...

Widespread coronary inflammation in unstable angina
A. Buffon, L. M. Biasucci, G. Liuzzo, G. D'Onofrio, F. Crea, A. Maseri

The hypothesis that inflammation of a vulnerable plaque leads to its rupture has become increasingly accepted over recent years, and has spawned research into means of detecting such plaques and stabilizing them...

True 3-dimensional reconstruction of coronary arteries in patients by fusion of angiography and IVUS (ANGUS) and its quantitative validation
C. J. Slager, J. J. Wentzel, J. C. Schuurbiers, J. A. Oomen, J. Kloet, R. Krams, C. von Birgelen, W. J. van der Giessen, P. W. Serruys, P. J. de Feyter

ANGUS is an intriguing acronym resulting from the bold fusion of "angiography" and "IVUS" (intravascular ultrasound)...

Incidence of high-strain patterns in human coronary arteries: assessment with three-dimensional intravascular palpography and correlation with clinical presentation
J. A. Schaar, E. Regar, F. Mastik, E. P. McFadden, F. Saia, C. Disco, C. L. de Korte, P. J. de Feyter, A. F. van der Steen, P. W. Serruys

The thrombosis that occurs in acute coronary syndromes may be superimposed on a variety of underlying coronary pathologies, including ruptured thin-cap fibroatheroma...

CDC/AHA Workshop on Markers of Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease: Application to Clinical and Public Health Practice: report from the laboratory science discussion group
G. L. Myers, N. Rifai, R. P. Tracy, W. L. Roberts, R. W. Alexander, L.M. Biasucci, J. D. Catravas, T. G. Cole, G.R. Cooper, B.V. Khan, et al

In light of the increased understanding that inflammation plays a key role in the development of atherosclerosis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) reviewed the data regarding inflammatory markers...