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(Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2000;20:478.)
© 2000 American Heart Association, Inc.

Atherosclerosis and Lipoproteins

Intravascular Ultrasound Combined With Raman Spectroscopy to Localize and Quantify Cholesterol and Calcium Salts in Atherosclerotic Coronary Arteries

Tjeerd J. Römer; James F. Brennan, III; Gerwin J. Puppels; Aailko H. Zwinderman; Sjoerd G. van Duinen; Arnoud van der Laarse; Anton F. W. van der Steen; Nicolaas A. Bom; Albert V. G. Bruschke

From the Department of Cardiology (T.J.R., J.F.B. III, A.v.d.L., A.V.G.B.), the Department of Medical Statistics (A.H.Z.), and the Department of Pathology (S.G.v.D.), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; the Laboratory for Intensive Care Research and Optical Spectroscopy (T.J.R., J.F.B. III, G.J.P.), Institute of General Surgery, Erasmus University Rotterdam and University Hospital Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and the Thoraxcenter of the Erasmus University (A.F.W.v.d.S., N.A.B.), Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Dr Brennan is now at 3M Telecommunications System Divisions, Austin, Tex.

Correspondence to Tjeerd J. Römer, MD, Department of Cardiology, C5-P, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2300 RC Leiden, Netherlands. E-mail romer{at}cardio.azl.nl

Abstract—Coronary intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) can assess arterial wall architecture and localize large intravascular deposits, but it does not provide quantitative chemical information, which is essential in the evaluation of atherosclerotic lesions. Previously, it has been shown that Raman spectroscopy can be used to accurately quantify the relative weights of cholesterol, calcium salts, triglycerides, and phospholipids in homogenized arterial tissue. In the present study, we explore some benefits of combining IVUS and Raman spectroscopy to evaluate the intact arterial wall. IVUS images were collected in vitro from human coronary arterial segments in various stages of disease (n=7). The images were divided into radial segments (11 to 28 per image, 332 in total), each of which was classified visually as calcified or noncalcified tissue. The arteries were opened longitudinally, and Raman spectra were collected from locations at 0.5-mm intervals across the arterial luminal circumference. The spectra were used to calculate the chemical composition of the arterial wall at the examined locations. Generally, locations containing large amounts of calcium salts, as determined with Raman spectroscopy, were classified as calcified with IVUS. However, small calcific deposits (<6% of weight) were not readily detected with IVUS. The amounts and location of cholesterol determined with Raman spectroscopy were correlated closely with the presence of cholesterol observed by histochemistry, but these deposits could not be located accurately by IVUS. The combination of Raman spectroscopy and IVUS applied in vitro provides detailed information about the amount and location of calcific deposits and lipid pools in atherosclerotic plaques. Future advances in optical fiber technology may allow simultaneous collection of Raman spectra and IVUS images through the same catheter in vivo.

Key Words: coronary arteries • atherosclerosis • intravascular ultrasound • Raman spectroscopy

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