Potential Impact of Neuroimmune and Autophagic Alterations on the Progression and Severity of Human Atherosclerotic Process

Neuromed IRCCS

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Carotid Atherosclerosis

Treatments: Other: No interventions

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03922698

LMB06

Details and patient eligibility

About

The hypothesis of this study is that neural regulations of the atherosclerotic plaque, identified in the murine model of atherosclerosis, could also exist in human pathology. The dysregulation status of the autonomic nervous system is typical of several cardiovascular diseases, but the role it exerts in the modulation of important mechanisms at the basis of the atherosclerotic process progression has not been investigated yet. The main aim of this study will be to investigate, in the atherosclerotic plaque, the alterations of inflammatory and immune processes, the neural modulations and the presence of dysregulations of the autophagic process. The investigators will also associate the potential presence of neural modulations of the plaque to its stability/instability, from a clinical-translational point of view. Finally, the investigators aim at providing a solid basis for the development of novel therapeutic strategies, which could reduce the elevated health and welfare costs for the clinical management of cardiovascular pathologies such as atherosclerosis.

Enrollment: 50 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 45 to 90 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• age ≥ 45 and ≤ 90 years;
• patients with severe (70-99%) carotid stenosis, diagnosed with color doppler echography or angio-MRI or angiography;
• written informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• carotid stenosis <70% at carotid bifurcation or diagnosed with color doppler echography or angio-MRI or angiography;
• severe neoplasia;
• participation to other clinical trial, ongoing or terminated less than one month before enrolment in this study.

Trial design

50 participants in 1 patient group

Case Group

Description:

Patients who undergo surgical intervention of carotid trombo-endo-arterectomy at the Department of Vascular Surgery of the IRCCS Neuromed, with specific inclusion/exclusion criteria

Treatment:

Other: No interventions