Semi-quantitative analysis of atherosclerotic plaque using optical coherence tomography and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry

Atherosclerosis is the underlying vascular pathology that initiates arterial thromboembolic occlusions (myocardial infarctions, strokes and peripheral vessel blockage). Two imaging modalities, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), were investigated for detection and compositional analysis of unstable plaque associated with plaque erosion and sudden occlusion. OCT produces high resolution images whereas mass spectrometry images provide information on the spatial distribution of chemical elements. Diseased carotid arteries taken from patients with high-risk lesions were imaged with OCT and ToF-SIMS to give molecular and metabolic information, and matched with histopathology. OCT results show clear indications of vascular remodeling by the presence of fatty acid deposits, fibrous tissue and calcifications. ToF-SIMS further characterized changes based on secondary ion topography analysis where a high Na-23/K-39 ratio was indicative of arterial tissue degradation and the amount of Ca-40 corresponded with late stage atherosclerosis. This pilot experiment has demonstrated that in vitro OCT imaging and ToF-SIMS of diseased carotid arteries have scientific merit for targeting clinically relevant morphology and metabolic changes to compare stable and unstable plaque. These optical techniques provide complimentary metabolic and molecular information on unstable plaque, specifically cell break-down with altered ion ratios of Na-23, K-39 and Ca-40.