The relationship between inflammation and neoangiogenesis of epicardial adipose tissue and coronary atherosclerosis based on computed tomography analysis.

Objective: Previous studies indicate that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) biologically contributes to the progression of coronary atherosclerosis. We evaluated the relationship between EAT pathology, represented by inflammation and neoangiogenesis, and coronary atherosclerosis on computed tomography (CT) images.

Methods: We performed CT examination in 45 patients scheduled for cardiac surgery (coronary artery bypass graft [CABG], n = 21; non-CABG, n = 24) to assess visceral adipose tissue (VAT) area, EAT volume, coronary calcium score (CCS), and presence of non-calcified coronary plaque (NCP) on CT angiography. Each patient was assessed with the numbers of CD68(+) individual macrophages and CD31(+) neovessels in six random high-power fields (400×) of EAT samples subsequently obtained during cardiac surgery.

Results: In three groups based on CCS (mild, 0-100; moderate, 101-400; severe, >400), the moderate group had the most extensive macrophage infiltration (p = 0.0025) and neoangiogenesis (p = 0.0036) in EAT. The patients with NCP had more extensive macrophage infiltration (p = 0.010) and neoangiogenesis (p = 0.0043) in EAT than those without. On multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, CABG versus. non-CABG, VAT area, and EAT volume, moderate CCS and the presence of NCP showed significant correlations with increased macrophage infiltration (β = 0.65; p < 0.0001, and β = 0.49; p = 0.0089, respectively) and neoangiogenesis (β = 0.55; p = 0.0011, and β = 0.53; p = 0.012, respectively) in EAT.

Conclusion: Inflammation and neoangiogenesis in EAT independently correlate with moderate coronary calcification and presence of NCP, suggesting that these two factors may have a role in promoting coronary atherosclerosis.