Characterization of atherosclerotic arterial tissue using combined SHG and FLIM microscopy

Riccardo Cicchi; Enrico Baria; Christian Matthäus; Marta Lange; Annika Lattermann; Bernhard R. Brehm; Jürgen Popp; Francesco S. Pavone

doi:10.1117/12.2183623

14 July 2015 Characterization of atherosclerotic arterial tissue using combined SHG and FLIM microscopy

Riccardo Cicchi, Enrico Baria, Christian Matthäus, Marta Lange, Annika Lattermann, Bernhard R. Brehm, Jürgen Popp, Francesco S. Pavone

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9536, Advanced Microscopy Techniques IV; and Neurophotonics II; 95360N (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2183623
Event: European Conferences on Biomedical Optics, 2015, Munich, Germany

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is among the most widespread cardiovascular diseases and one of the leading cause of death in the Western World. Characterization of arterial tissue in atherosclerotic condition is extremely interesting from the diagnostic point of view, especially for what is concerning collagen content and organization because collagen plays a crucial role in plaque vulnerability. Routinely used diagnostic methods, such as histopathological examination, are limited to morphological analysis of the examined tissues, whereas an exhaustive characterization requires immunehistochemical examination and a morpho-functional approach. Non-linear microscopy techniques offer the potential for providing morpho-functional information on the examined tissues in a label-free way. In this study, we employed combined SHG and FLIM microscopy for characterizing collagen organization in both normal arterial wall and within atherosclerotic plaques. Image pattern analysis of SHG images allowed characterizing collagen organization in different tissue regions. In addition, the analysis of collagen fluorescence decay contributed to the characterization of the samples based on collagen fluorescence lifetime. Different values of collagen fiber mean size, collagen distribution, and collagen anisotropy and collagen fluorescence lifetime were found in normal arterial wall and within plaque depositions, prospectively allowing for automated classification of atherosclerotic lesions and plaque vulnerability. The presented method represents a promising diagnostic tool for evaluating atherosclerotic tissue and has the potential to find a stable place in clinical setting as well as to be applied in vivo in the near future.

Citation Download Citation

Riccardo Cicchi, Enrico Baria, Christian Matthäus, Marta Lange, Annika Lattermann, Bernhard R. Brehm, Jürgen Popp, and Francesco S. Pavone "Characterization of atherosclerotic arterial tissue using combined SHG and FLIM microscopy", Proc. SPIE 9536, Advanced Microscopy Techniques IV; and Neurophotonics II, 95360N (14 July 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2183623

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available

Members: $17.00

Non-members: $21.00 ADD TO CART

PROCEEDINGS
4 PAGES

DOWNLOAD PAPER SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

GET CITATION

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Get copyright permission Get copyright permission on Copyright Marketplace

KEYWORDS

Collagen

Tissues

Second-harmonic generation

Microscopy

Fluorescence lifetime imaging

Diagnostics

Image analysis

Show All Keywords

Keywords/Phrases

Search In:

Publication Years