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Figure 2 Molecular Principles to Detect Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaques

Based upon the increasing molecular knowledge regarding atherogenesis, different principles have been successfully used to image atherosclerotic plaques. One major complex is the molecular imaging of inflammation, which includes enhanced metabolic activity, chemotaxis, cell recruitment, and lipoprotein accumulation. Furthermore, mediators of angiogenesis, apoptosis, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity have been successfully applied. Another promising approach to detect vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque is the visualization of plaque thrombogenicity, including thrombosis and exposure of thrombogenic subendothelial matrix proteins. ECM = extracellular matrix; FCH = fluorocholine; FDG = fluorodeoxyglucose; GP = glycoprotein; LDL = low-density lipoprotein; L19 = antibody against the extra-domain B of fibronectin; MCP = monocyte chemoattractant protein; MDA2 = malondialdehyde epitope on oxidized low-density lipoprotein; ox-LDL = oxidized low-density lipoprotein; RGD = protein sequence "arginine-glycine-aspartic acid."