The whiskers are drawn from the box to the highest and lowest values that are within 1

5 times the interquartile range of the median with any points more extreme than this are plotted individually.<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Strain-encoding cardiovascular magnetic resonance for assessment of right-ventricular regional function"</p><p>http://www.jcmr-online.com/content/10/1/33</p><p>Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance 2008;10(1):33-33.</p><p>Published online 4 Jul 2008</p><p>PMCID:PMC2478648.</p><p></p

Estimated cumulative cardiac event rates based on extension of inducible WMA.

<p>Estimated cumulative cardiac event rates based on extension of inducible WMA.</p

Univariate and multivariate analysis for the prediction of hard cardiac events.

<p>CAD indicates previous coronary artery disease, EF, ejection fraction, LAD left anterior descendent artery and WMA, wall motion abnormalities.</p><p>Univariate and multivariate analysis for the prediction of hard cardiac events.</p

Survival analysis in patients with known or suspected CAD undergoing dobutamine stress CMR.

<p>In patients that exhibited dobutamine induced ischemia, the extent of ischemia did not influence hard cardiac events (A) and revascularization procedures (B). The threshold of 1 ischemic segment was enough to predict a poor outcome irrespective of the absence (C) or presence (D) of known CAD. Significantly more hard cardiac events were seen in patients with LAD-territory related ischemia (E). Extension of ischemia to more than one coronary territory did not influence the rate of hard cardiac events (F).</p

Baseline characteristic of patients with and without cardiac events.

<p>Baseline characteristic of patients with and without cardiac events.</p

CXCL4 Plasma Levels Are Not Associated with the Extent of Coronary Artery Disease or with Coronary Plaque Morphology

<div><p>Background</p><p>CXCL4 is a platelet chemokine released at micromolar concentrations upon platelet activation. CXCL4 has been shown to promote atherogenesis by various mechanisms. However, data on CXCL4 plasma levels in patients with coronary artery disease are largely inconclusive. Computed coronary artery angiography (CCTA) represents an excellent tool to quantify and characterize coronary atherosclerotic plaques. We hypothesized that increased CXCL4 plasma levels may be associated with features of plaque instability resulting in adverse cardiovascular events. Specifically, we sought to determine whether CXCL4 levels are correlated with specific features of coronary artery disease including (1) plaque volume, (2) calcium score, (3) degree of stenosis, or (4) vascular remodeling.</p><p>Methods and Results</p><p>CXCL4 plasma levels were measured by ELISA in 217 patients undergoing CCTA for suspected CAD (mean age 64.2 ± 9.4 years, 107 (49.3%) male). Mean CXCL4 plasma levels were 12.5 ± 4.6 ng/mL. There was no significant correlation between CXCL4 levels and any clinical or demographic parameters including cardiovascular risk factors. CXCL4 plasma levels did not differ between patient with or without coronary artery disease (CAD: 12.5 ± 4.5 ng/ml, no CAD: 12.5 ± 4.8 ng/ml). Neither univariate nor multivariate analysis showed an association between CXCL4 levels and plaque volume, total calcium score, degree of stenosis, or vascular remodeling. Subgroup analysis of patients with CAD as confirmed by CCTA did not show any association of CXCL4 levels with the extent of CAD.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>While CXCL4 may be present and active within the arterial wall, local increase of CXCL4 may not translate into systemically elevated CXCL4 levels. Further studies will have to test whether CXCL4 may still represent a suitable therapeutic target in human atherosclerosis.</p></div

Patient characteristics.

<p>Demographic and clinical data of all patients and divided by CXCL4 quartiles. For each parameter the coefficient and P value with CXCL4 plasma levels is indicated as calculated by Pearson’s correlation. Continuous variables are indicated as mean ± standard deviation, categorical variables are indicated as absolute number (percentage).</p

Plaque characteristics of patients with confirmed CAD.

<p>Plaque characteristics of all patients with confirmed CAD and divided by CXCL4 quartiles. For each parameter the coefficient and P value with CXCL4 plasma levels is indicated as calculated by Pearson’s correlation. Continuous variables are indicated as mean ± standard deviation, categorical variables are indicated as absolute number (percentage).</p

Characteristics of patients with confirmed CAD.

<p>* P<0.05.</p><p>Demographic and clinical data of all patients with confirmed CAD and divided by CXCL4 quartiles. For each parameter the coefficient and P value with CXCL4 plasma levels is indicated as calculated by Pearson’s correlation. Continuous variables are indicated as mean ± standard deviation, categorical variables are indicated as absolute number (percentage).</p

CXCL4 plasma levels in patients with or without CAD.

<p>CXCL4 plasma levels as measured by ELISA in 217 individuals undergoing coronary computed-tomography angiography (CCTA) divided by „no CAD”(n = 107) and „CAD”(n = 110). For each group, box whisker plots and dot plots are shown.</p