Correlation of Artherosclerotic Plaque Volume and Intima Media Thickness With Soluble P-selectin
Correlation of Artherosclerotic Plaque Volume and Intima Media Thickness With Soluble P-selectin
The proposed project is a prospective observational, single-center cohort study aimed to
 examine the progression of atherosclerotic alterations of the carotid arteries (IMT, plaque
 volume) during a follow-up of up to four years and to correlate the observed changes with
 traditional and novel biomarkers of atherosclerosis. A total of 600 subsequent patients with
 or established cardiovascular disease or at least one cardiovascular risk will be tested with
 a high-frequency ultrasound probe equipped with automated IMT measurements and 3D
 quantitative plaque volumetry. Plasma samples will be collected and tested for traditional
 and novel cardiovascular risk factors. Both ultrasound examinations and blood sampling will
 be repeated once per year to assess changes in these parameters over time depending on
 treatment modalities, which are left to the discretion of the treating physicians. The
 primary endpoint of the planned study will be the correlation between P-selectin and the
 progression of atherosclerosis as measured by plaque volume and IMT in the carotid and
 femoral arteries, respectively. Secondary endpoints will include the correlation of
 established (hypertension, smoking, diabetes, dyslipidemia) and novel risk factors (hsCRP,
 P-selectin, cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), intercellular adhesion molecule-1
 (ICAM-1), CETP TaqIb polymorphism) with the progression of atherosclerosis, the correlation
 of cardiovascular events with the progression of atherosclerosis and the additional
 predictive value of plaque volume and IMT compared to an established risk score (SCORE card).
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Patients (male and female) aged 30 to 85 years

 -  with at least one traditional cardiovascular risk factor (hypertension, smoking,
 diabetes, dyslipidemia, family history) or established coronary artery disease,
 cerebrovascular disease, or peripheral artery disease diagnosed by objective testing

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  lack of informed consent

 -  the impossibility of follow-up testing once per year for the following four years