Coronary Inflammation Assessed by Perivascular Fat Attenuation Index in Patients with Psoriasis: A Propensity Score-Matched Study

Abstract

<b><i>Objectives:</i></b> This study aimed to evaluate coronary inflammation by measuring the perivascular fat attenuation index (FAI) and quantify the atherosclerosis burden in patients with psoriasis and control individuals without psoriasis based on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) images. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A total of 98 consecutive patients with psoriasis (76 male [77.6%], aged 56.5 years, range 45.5–65.0) were recruited, and 196 patients (157 male [80.1%]; aged 54.6 ± 14.1 years) without established cardiovascular disease (CVD) who underwent CCTA within the same period were enrolled in the control group. Coronary plaque burden was quantified using the computed tomography-adapted Leaman score (CT-LeSc), and the FAI surrounding the proximal of three main epicardial vessels was measured to represent coronary inflammation. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Patients with psoriasis and the control subjects were well matched in CVD risk factors (all <i>p</i> &#x3e; 0.05). Psoriasis patients had a greater overall CT-LeSc (5.86 vs. 4.69, <i>p</i> = 0.030) and lower perivascular FAI (−80.19 ± 7.48 vs. −78.14 ± 7.81 HU, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). A similar result was found upon comparing psoriasis patients without biological or statin therapy with non-psoriasis individuals without statin treatments. Furthermore, the psoriasis group had a higher prevalence of non-calcified plaques (30.3% in the psoriasis group vs. 20.1% in the control subjects, <i>p</i> = 0.001). No difference in perivascular FAI on either calcified and mixed plaques or non-calcified plaques between the two groups was found. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Patients with psoriasis have a higher atherosclerotic burden as quantified by CT-LeSc and less coronary inflammation as detected by perivascular FAI around the most proximal of the three major epicardial vessels. The usefulness of perivascular FAI for evaluating coronary inflammation in patients with chronic low-grade inflammatory disease such as psoriasis should be verified.