Lots of interesting abstracts and cases were submitted for TCTAP 2025. Below are the accepted ones after a thorough review by our official reviewers. Don’t miss the opportunity to expand your knowledge and interact with authors as well as virtual participants by sharing your opinion in the comment section!
TCTAP A-070
Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography Guided Stratification of High Risk Plaque With Abnormal Apolipoprotein B/Apolipoprotein A Ratio.
By Sara Alsubai, Emiliano Bianchini, Foziyah Alqahtani, Eileen Coen, Ruth Sharif, Hesham Elzomor, Faisal Sharif
Presenter
Emiliano Bianchini
Authors
Sara Alsubai1, Emiliano Bianchini2, Foziyah Alqahtani1, Eileen Coen3, Ruth Sharif3, Hesham Elzomor4, Faisal Sharif3
Affiliation
Galway University Hospital, Saudi Arabia1, Galway University Hospital, Italy2, Galway University Hospital, Ireland3, Galway University Hospital, Egypt4
View Study Report
TCTAP A-070
Computed Tomography
Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography Guided Stratification of High Risk Plaque With Abnormal Apolipoprotein B/Apolipoprotein A Ratio.
Sara Alsubai1, Emiliano Bianchini2, Foziyah Alqahtani1, Eileen Coen3, Ruth Sharif3, Hesham Elzomor4, Faisal Sharif3
Galway University Hospital, Saudi Arabia1, Galway University Hospital, Italy2, Galway University Hospital, Ireland3, Galway University Hospital, Egypt4
Background
Advances in coronary computed tomographyangiography (CCTA) have enabled the identification and validation of imagingfeatures associated with vulnerable plaque (VPs), which ultimately lead toacute coronary syndromes (ACS). Several studies have explored the correlationbetween high-risk CCTA features and laboratory biomarkers. However, therelationship between VPs and the ApoB/ApoA ratio remains largelyuninvestigated. Moreover, existing studies rarely account for metabolicdifferences between males and females, which could influence the correlationbetween biomarkers and VPs. This study aims to investigate gender differencesin the association between high-risk laboratory biomarkers and VPs.
Methods
This is a prospective,ongoing single-center registry enrolling 145 participants with suspectedcoronary artery disease who underwent CCTA at Galway University Hospital. Bloodsamples were collected at the time of CCTA to assess laboratory biomarkers,including ApoB/ApoA levels. Coronary artery assessments were conducted usingAWS server and Medis software. VPs were defined as any plaques exhibiting oneof the following high-risk features: positive remodeling, low attenuation,napkin-ring sign
Results
The study included 145 participants (71 males and 74 females). The twocohorts (males vs. females) were comparable regarding common CV risk factors,except for a higher prevalence of diabetes in males (19.7% vs. 8.1%, P =0.040). Males were slightly younger than females (53.9 ± 9 vs. 57.3 ± 9.7years) with a mean overall age of the population < 55 years. CCTA identifiedVP features in 75 participants (32 males and 43 females). Higher LDL levelswere significantly associated with the presence of VPs in both females (meanLDL in females without VPs: 2.3 ± 0.88 mmol/L; mean LDL in females with VPs:2.9 ± 1.2 mmol/L, P = 0.014) and males (mean LDL in males without VPs: 1.8 ±0.64 mmol/L; mean LDL in males with VPs: 2.8 ± 0.84 mmol/L, P < 0.001), withthe largest difference observed in males. The ApoB/ApoA ratio was notsignificantly different in females with or without VPs (0.55 ± 0.22 vs. 0.48 ±0.18, P = 0.127), but it was strongly associated with the presence of VPs inmales (males without VPs: 0.45 ± 0.14 vs. males with VPs: 0.65 ± 0.17, P <0.001).
Conclusion
This study highlights significant gender differences in lipidprofiles associated with vulnerable plaque features as detected by CCTA. Beyondgeneral LDL levels, the ApoB/ApoA ratio was strongly associated with VPs onlyin males, suggesting that the utility of these biomarkers may begender-dependent. The lack of significant association between VPs and theApoB/ApoA ratio in females suggests that female-specific mechanisms, besidecommon lipid profile, may play a role in VP development.