The study demonstrates significant variety of neovascularization degree and vessel diameter in the carotid atherosclerotic plaque. It is suggested that the increase in the number of vessels with a diameter <20 μ can be indicative of increased atherosclerosis activity, while the increase in the number of vessels with a diameter ≥40 μ indicates “reparative potential” of plaques. Duplex contrast-enhanced ultrasound scanning allows characterization of the localization and number of vessels with a diameter of ≥30 μ in the plaque, while even slight elevation of plasma concentration of basic fibroblast growth factor attests, first of all, to increased content of small vessels <30 μ in the plaque. The level of fibroblast growth factor >1.5 pg/ml is a reliable marker of increased number of both small and large vessels in the plaque.
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Translated from Byulleten’ Eksperimental’noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 165, No. 4, pp. 518-523, April, 2018
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Evdokimenko, A.N., Gulevskaya, T.S., Druina, L.D. et al. Neovascularization of Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque and Quantitative Methods of Its Dynamic Assessment in Vivo. Bull Exp Biol Med 165, 521–525 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10517-018-4208-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10517-018-4208-5