Gefäßdarstellung mit 131I-low-density Lipoprotein bei Patienten mit Hypertonie und frühen atherosklerotischen Läsionen der Arteria carotis

Background: The reinjection of autologous 131I-labelled low-density lipoprotein (LDL) followed by vascular scintigraphy has been used to investigate lipid-containing plaques, but no information is available on the early stages of plaques in hypertensives. Vascular scintigraphy after re-injection of autologous 131I-labelled LDL was used to investigate early atherosclerotic lesions visualized by sonography in the carotid arteries of patients with hypertension. Patients and methods: 10 male patients (4 smokers; mean age 56 ± 8 years;) with early carotid atherosclerosis (mono- or bilateral; intima-media-thickness ranging from 1.5 to 3.5mm) as shown by sonography were studied. All these normolipemic patients suffered from primary hypertension and were treated with diuretics. As controls 6 healthy male subjects (3 smokers; mean age 54 ± 9 years;), with normal blood pressure and lipid pattern were recruited. Results: Hot spots appeared in the areas with early atherosclerosis in 7 patients, while none were seen i...