Time-resolved fluorescence of human aortic wall: Use for improved identification of atherosclerotic lesions

✍ Scribed by Jean-Michel I. Maarek; Laura Marcu; Michael C. Fishbein; Warren S. Grundfest

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 345 KB
• Volume: 27
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0196-8092
• DOI: 10.1002/1096-9101(2000)27:3<241::aid-lsm6>3.0.co;2-0

✦ Synopsis

Background and objective:

This study characterized aortic time-resolved fluorescence spectra for stratified levels of atherosclerosis and proposed interpretation of spectrotemporal variations in terms of histologic changes.

Study design/materials and methods:

Fluorescence emission transients were measured at 370-510 nm (337 nm excitation) on 94 excised human aortic samples, ranging from normal to advanced fibrous atherosclerotic lesion. global analysis yielded a three-exponential approximation of the time-resolved spectra from which average lifetime and decay-associated spectra were derived.

Results:

Average lifetime at 390 nm gradually increased from 2.4+/-0.1 nsec (normal aorta) to 3.9+/-0.1 nsec (advanced lesion). fluorescence intensity was markedly decreased above 430 nm in intermediate and advanced lesions. spectral intensity associated with the intermediate decay increased at 470-490 nm for early and intermediate lipid-rich lesions.

Conclusion:

Time-resolved fluorescence spectra of aortic samples presented distinctive features for each atherosclerotic lesion type, which could serve as characteristic markers for optical analysis of the aortic wall.