Alkystis Phinikaridou1, Sara Lacerda1, Begoña L Plaza1, Marcelo Andia2, Silvia G Lorrio1, and René M Botnar1
1Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, London, United Kingdom, 2Radiology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
The extracellular
matrix proteins, elastin and collagen, are the most important structural
components of the vessel wall that provide tensile strength and stability. During
abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) formation there is both, progressive
degradation and synthesis of new elastin fibers that disrupts the structural
integrity of the vessel wall until it becomes unable to accommodate the high
intraluminal hemodynamic forces [1-4]. AAA
formation is characterized by dilation of the lumen area and thinning of the
vessel wall. Possible rupture of the AAA may have fatal consequences. Rupture
of aortic aneurysms is the third most common cause of sudden death after myocardial
infarction and stroke. We have developed a tropoelastin-binding MR contrast
agent (TESMA) and sought to investigate if it can be used as a novel biomarker
to assess AAA development and the risk of rupture, beyond aneurysmal diameter.
