Circulating malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein levels are associated with the presence of thin-cap fibroatheromas determined by optical coherence tomography in coronary artery disease

Aims The importance of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) has been implicated in the process of plaque rupture. However, few previous studies demonstrated the relationship between plaque morphology and oxLDL. We evaluated the relationship between coronary plaque vulnerability assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and circulating malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL). Methods and results OCT was used to determine plaque vulnerability in 102 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS; n = 53) and stable angina pectoris (SAP; n = 49). Circulating levels of MDA-LDL were measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Thin-cap fibroatheromas (TCFAs; defined as lipid-rich with plaque cap thickness