MAJOR AND MINOR ELEMENT STRUCTURE OF CORONARY ARTERIAL PLAQUES

Element composition of coronary arterial plaques obtained from 16 pati ents with coronary artery disease was analyzed. Mean calcium concentra tion was found to be 5.5 +/- 2.21%, phosphate 0.76 +/- 0.58%, sodium 4 .05 +/- 0.66%, potassium 0.43 +/- 0.14% and magnesium 0.185 +/- 0.135% . Iron, copper and zinc concentrations in the plaques were 358.4 +/- 2 52.4, 65.9 +/- 36.2 and 164.1 +/- 40.9 ppm, respectively. Chemically p laques consisted of fibrous protein (76.10 +/- 10.05%), total lipids ( 6.05 +/- 3.06%) and cholesterol (1.10 +/- 0.60%). High sodium and calc ium contents of arterial plaques implicate possible involvement of the se two elements together with some other major and minor elements in t he plaque formation process in the coronary arteries.