3T MRI of Atherosclerotic Plaques (Carotid Arteries/Thoracic Aorta)

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Methodology Study to develop sinerem enhanced 3T MR Imaging of Atherosclerotic Plaques within the Carotid Arteries, and to compare sinerem MRI to contrast enhanced ultrasound

• Contact name

  David Owen

• Sponsor organisation

  GlaxoSmithKline

• Eudract number

  2008-005288-33

• ISRCTN Number

  .

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  .

• Research summary

  Cholesterol deposits within arteries (atherosclerotic plaques) can remain symptom free or can lead to catastrophic events like heart attacks and strokes. Previous research (looking at plaques under the microscope, from patients who have died or had plaques removed surgically) has demonstrated that plaques which are inflamed are much more likely to lead to these conditions. Conversely, plaques which are not inflamed are much more likely to be stable, and not cause symptoms. There is therefore great interest in using imaging techniques to identify inflammation in plaques of living patients. This way, doctors could predict which patients are at high risk of their plaque causing a serious event, and treat them accordingly. Such an imaging technique could also help drug companies test new anti-atherosclerosis drugs.Inflammation within plaques of the carotid (neck) artery can be identified by MRI scanning, aided by administration of a contrast agent called sinerem. Hitherto, this has only been attempted using an MRI scanner with a field strength of 1.5 tesla (tesla is a unit of magnetic field strength). Modern MRI scanners have a higher field strength (3 tesla) and consequently offer significant improvements in image quality and thus diagnostic power. However, implementing this technique at 3 tesla is not a trivial objective. Optimising sinerem enhanced 3 tesla MRI of atherosclerotic plaque within the carotid artery is the primary objective of this study. Exploratory objectives involve comparing the results to those of contrast enhanced ultrasound, and Transcranial DopplerThis study will recruit patients from Imperial NHS Trust, who will undergo MRI scanning of the carotid and or thoracic aorta. Some patients will undergo repeat examinations to determine reliability of the techniques. Some patients will undergo MRI scanning with sinerem to help determine the appropriate sinerem dose at high field strength MRI and also contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using a contrast agent called SonoVue. The research is funded by GSK

• REC name

  London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  08/H0716/81

• Date of REC Opinion

  3 Dec 2008

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion