Study on the relationship between the imaging performance of carotid atherosclerotic plaques with contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and myeloperoxidase (MPO) plasma concentration

Objective In order to evaluate the plaques' stability, we investigated the relationship between the imaging performance of carotid atherosclerotic plaques with real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) and MPO plasma concentration. Methods To examine 73 cases with 73 carotid atherosclerotic plaques by real-time CEUS, and observe the imaging features of plaques. According to the imaging features, the 73 cases were divided into two groups (soft plaque group and mixed plaque group), and analyze the differences of contrast medium (CM) persistently enhancement time in plaques and MPO plasma concentration between the two groups. Then analyze the dependability of the CM arriving-time in plaques, CM persistently enhancement time in plaques, the CM arriving-time in vasa sanguinea, CM persistently enhancement time in vasa sanguinea and MPO plasma concentration. Results Compared with mixed plaque group, CM persistently enhancement time and MPO plasma concentration in soft plaque group were significantly higher than that in mixed plaque group (P0.01), and it is positive correlation between the CM persistently enhancement time and MPO plasma concentration, the correlation coefficient is 0.877. Conclusion These findings suggested that the CM persistently enhancement time in carotid atherosclerotic plaques and MPO plasma concentration are related with the property of the plaque, which can overall evaluate the plaques stability.