Hyperfibrinogenemia is associated with specific histocytological composition and complications of @entity731 carotid plaques in @entity1 affected by transient XXXX attacks.

@entity1 @entity2298 @entity2002 @entity1007 @entity101 @entity63 @entity6 @entity397 @entity731 @entity715
BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that hyperfibrinogenemia is an independent risk factor for @entity731 . However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We studied whether hyperfibrinogenemia could modify the histological composition of @entity731 and precipitate @entity715 resulting from @entity397 . METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied the histological composition of 71 carotid @entity731 plaques from @entity1 who had undergone surgical endarterectomy after a first episode of transient @entity63 attack. @entity1 were divided into 3 groups corresponding to the tertiles of plasma @entity2002 values. @entity1007 , @entity2298 , @entity101 , @entity6 , and smoking habit were also assessed. At the histological analysis, plaques of @entity1 in the highest tertile of @entity2002 (>407 mg/dL) were characterized by a high incidence of @entity715 (66.7% of cases) compared with plaques of subjects in the lower (21.7%) (P=0.002) and middle (29. 2%) (P=0.009) tertiles. @entity397 was significantly associated with high @entity2002 levels (54.2%, P=0.003). Multivariate logistic regression indicated that hyperfibrinogenemia was an independent risk factor for a decrease in cap thickness (P=0.0005), macrophage foam cell infiltration of the cap (P=0.003), and @entity715 (P=0. 003). When the presence of other risk factors was accounted for, hyperfibrinogenemia remained an independent predictor of @entity715 with an odds ratio of 5.83, compared with other risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study add to the evidence that hyperfibrinogenemia, independently of other risk factors, is associated with a specific histological composition of carotid @entity731 plaques that predisposes them to rupture and @entity715 .
