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Objectives: To investigate the utility of ultrasonic (US) perfluorohexane (PFH)-loaded monocyte imaging for detection of liver inflammation in fatty liver disease., Methods: C57Bl6 mice were injected intraperitoneally with tumor necrosis factor α and assessed by US PFH-loaded monocyte imaging 3 hours later. Echogenic monocytes were injected intravenously, leading to a transient increase in liver tissue intensity on a US perfusion scan. The contrast wash-out time constant was hypothesized to reflect the degree of inflammation. Next, we evaluated US PFH-loaded monocyte imaging in Ldlr -/- mice fed a 1-week high-fat/high-cholesterol diet as model for early developing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Adjunct analyses included tissue markers of liver inflammation., Results: Tumor necrosis factor α-injected mice showed a reduced wash-out time constant (mean ± SEM, 0.013 ± 0.003; n = 8) compared to controls (0.054 ± 0.009; n = 7; P = .0006), indicative of increased inflammatory adhesion molecule expression on the endothelium. The Ldlr -/- mice fed the high-fat/high-cholesterol diet showed liver inflammation, as reflected by increased (3- to 4-fold) infiltration of inflammatory cells and increased (3- to 4-fold) gene expression of tumor necrosis factor α, integrin αM, intracellular adhesion molecule, and vascular cell adhesion molecule. However, in these mice, no difference was detected in the wash-out time constant as assessed by US PFH-loaded monocyte imaging (high-fat/high-cholesterol, 0.050 ± 0.017; n = 5; chow, 0.048 ± 0.006; n = 6; P = .91)., Conclusions: Our results indicate that US PFH-loaded monocyte imaging is able to detect vascularly expressed inflammatory adhesion molecules in the mouse liver on direct endothelial stimulation. However, in our mouse model of early developing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, we did not detect inflammation by this method, which may suggest that the time-dependent relationship between parenchymal and endothelial inflammation remains a fundamental issue to be addressed., (© 2017 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.)

Purpose  Inhomogeneity of arterial wall thickness may be indicative of distal plaques. This study investigates the intra-subject association between relative spatial intima-media thickness (IMT) inhomogeneity of the common carotid artery (CCA) and the degree of stenosis of plaques in the internal carotid artery (ICA). Materials and Methods  We included 240 patients with a recent ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack and mild-to-moderate stenosis in the ipsilateral ICA. IMT inhomogeneity was extracted from B-mode ultrasound recordings. The degree of ICA stenosis was assessed on CT angiography according to the European Carotid Surgery Trial method. Patients were divided into groups with a low (≤ 2 %) and a high (> 2 %) IMT inhomogeneity scaled with respect to the local end-diastolic diameter. Results  182 patients had suitable CT and ultrasound measurements. Relative CCA-IMT inhomogeneity was similar for the symptomatic and asymptomatic side (difference: 0.02 %, p = 0.85). High relative IMT inhomogeneity was associated with a larger IMT (difference: 235 µm, p < 0.001) and larger degree of ICA stenosis (difference: 5 %, p = 0.023) which remained significant (p = 0.016) after adjustment for common risk factors. Conclusion  Regardless of common risk factors, high relative CCA-IMT inhomogeneity is associated with a greater degree of ICA stenosis and is therefore indicative of atherosclerotic disease. The predictive value of CCA-IMT inhomogeneity for plaque progression and recurrence of cerebrovascular symptoms will be determined in the follow-up phase of PARISK., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)