Targeted Folate Receptor β Fluorescence Imaging as a Measure of Inflammation to Estimate Vulnerability Within Human Atherosclerotic Carotid Plaque

Abstract

Compared with areas with low folate-FITC uptake, areas of high folate-FITC uptake within human atherosclerotic plaques had an increased number of activated macrophages and higher areas of hypoxia. These characteristics of vulnerability imply that molecular imaging of FR-β through folate conjugates might be a good indicator for plaque vulnerability in future noninvasive imaging studies.