A representative case of coronary artery ectasia.

Images of a 62-year-old man with an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Diffuse ectasia and focal stenosis in the right coronary artery are seen (A). The axial image (B) and 3D reconstruction image (C) of computed tomography show an infra-renal aortic aneurysm.</p

The parameter assessment of ectatic coronary arteries.

The dotted lines show the range analysed in the left anterior descending artery (A), left circumflex artery (B), and right coronary artery (C), respectively. Abbreviations: D1, maximal diameter; D2, minimal diameter.</p

Qualitative and quantitative coronary angiography findings.

Qualitative and quantitative coronary angiography findings.</p

Multivariable logistic regression models for coronary artery ectasia and excessive expansive coronary artery remodelling.

Multivariable logistic regression models for coronary artery ectasia and excessive expansive coronary artery remodelling.</p

Angiographic characteristics of coronary artery ectasia.

Angiographic characteristics of coronary artery ectasia.</p

Baseline clinical characteristics, laboratory, and medication data of the study population.

Baseline clinical characteristics, laboratory, and medication data of the study population.</p

Study flow of this study.

Abbreviations: AA, aortic aneurysm; AAA, abdominal aortic aneurysm; ACS, acute coronary syndrome; BMI, body mass index; CABG, coronary artery bypass graft; CAG, coronary angiography; DLp, dyslipidemia; DM, diabetes mellitus.</p

Study protocol.

Twelve two-month-old LDLR-KO pigs were randomly allocated to four groups (n = 3 each) and fed with a diet containing 2.0% cholesterol/20% fat throughout the study. The coronary arteries were injured using balloons and then the pigs were sacrificed at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks later. Coronary plaque development was accelerated in all pigs by angioplasty of left anterior descending and left circumflex arteries.</p

Time dependent changes in ratio of area positively stained for cathepsin S.

<p>Macrophages in lesions were immunohistochemically stained with cathepsin S (n = 12). Mean ratios of macrophages to plaque areas significantly and time-dependently changed at weeks 4<b>*</b> and 8^† compared with that at week 2 (8.79% ± 5.98% and 17.00% ± 10.38% vs. 1.14% ± 1.88%; P < 0.0001) whereas at week 12 the ratio decreased towards the value at week 2 (4.00% ± 4.56% vs; baseline P = 0.66).</p

Pathological values at weeks 2, 4 8 and 12 after balloon-induced arterial injury.

<p>Pathological values at weeks 2, 4 8 and 12 after balloon-induced arterial injury.</p