Associations Between Resolvin D1 and Culprit Plaque Morphologies: An Optical Coherence Tomography Study in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

Background

As a specialized pro-resolving lipid mediator, resolvin D1 (RvD1) inhibits atherosclerosis progression in vivo by reducing regional oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. However, it is unclear how RvD1 is involved in human coronary artery disease. This study aims to investigate the association between plasma levels of RvD1 and culprit-plaque characteristics in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods

A total of 240 STEMI patients undergoing optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination were analyzed. RvD1 levels were measured in patient plasma samples using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Logistic regression was performed to assess the association between RvD1 levels and various culprit plaque morphologies, and the receiver operating curve was used to search for an optimal cutoff threshold to predict certain pathological features.

Results

The median RvD1 level was 129.7 (56.6–297.8) pg/mL. According to multivariable logistic regression, high RvD1 was associated with plaque rupture (≥111.5 pg/mL, odds ratio [OR]: 2.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20–3.66, P = 0.010), healed plaques (≥246.4 pg/mL, OR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.11–4.24, P = 0.023), and calcification (≥293.38 pg/mL, OR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.21–3.66, P = 0.008) at culprit lesions.

Conclusion

Increased levels of RvD1 were associated with higher instability of coronary atherosclerotic plaques in STEMI patients.

Keywords:

• resolvin D1
• specialized pro-resolving lipid mediator
• myocardial infarction
• optical coherence tomography
• atherosclerosis
• inflammation

Institutional Review Board Statement

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of Fuwai Hospital, Beijing (protocol code: 2017‐866, date of approval: January 22, 2017).

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all the subjects involved in the study.

Data Sharing Statement

The data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding authors upon request. The institution (Fuwai Hospital) requires all requests to access any patient data to be applied and processed in a case‐by‐case manner.

Author Contributions

All authors contributed to data analysis, drafting or revising the article, have agreed on the journal to which the article will be submitted, gave final approval for the version to be published, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81970308), the Fund of the “Sanming” Project of Medicine in Shenzhen (SZSM201911017), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (3332022123), Shenzhen Key Medical Discipline Construction Fund (SZXK001), and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (2016‐I2M‐1‐009).