Bilateral symmetry of local inflammatory activation in XXXX carotid atherosclerotic plaques.

@entity1 @entity32 @entity101 @entity6 @entity731 @entity66 @entity453 @entity121 @entity11502
INTRODUCTION: Only a few studies have investigated the structural and functional characteristics of carotid arteries bilaterally. Furthermore, there is controversy as to whether @entity32 in paired vascular beds is a local or systemic phenomenon. We aimed to examine, in @entity1 with @entity453 , whether intra-subject left and right carotid arteries have similar inflammatory status, as determined non-invasively by microwave radiometry (MWR). METHODS: Consecutive @entity1 (n=200) with significant @entity453 were evaluated via an ultrasound echo-colour Doppler (US-ECD) study of both carotid arteries and temperature measurements with MWR. During thermography, thermal heterogeneity (T) was defined as the maximum temperature along the carotid artery minus the minimum temperature. RESULTS: Mean T was similar between the left and right carotid arteries (0.78    0.48 vs. 0.84    0.52  C, p=0.12). Mean right @entity121 ( @entity121 ) was greater compared to mean left @entity121 (2.16    1.20 vs. 1.93    0.94 mm, p<0.01). In all carotids, there was a correlation between left and right carotid plaque T (R=0.38, p<0.001) and between left and right @entity121 (R=0.48, p<0.001). Independent predictors for the presence of bilateral carotid plaques were found to be the extent of @entity453 , high T, and therapy with @entity11502 receptor blockers; predictors for the presence of high T bilaterally were bilateral carotid plaques, male sex, @entity6 , and @entity101 . CONCLUSIONS: There is bilateral inflammatory activation in the carotid @entity731 of @entity1 with @entity453 . At this stage of @entity66 , arterial @entity101 and @entity6 are more strongly correlated with bilateral functional abnormalities in carotid plaques than with structural changes.
