Abstract 530: In vivo DVT Inflammation Presages Vein Wall Injury, and is Ameliorated by Statin Therapy
Objective: Inflammation mediates early venous thrombosis (VT) resolution and can induce vein wall scarring (VWS), a key driver of the morbid post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS). Statins exhibit anti-inflammatory properties, and may positively impact VWS after VT. However, whether early inflammation contributes to this process and can be detected is not known. In this study, we hypothesized that early VT inflammation detected by 18F-fludeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) could predict subsequent VWS and that both VT inflammation and VWS would be attenuated by statin therapy. Methods: Stasis VT was induced by complete ligation in male C57BL/6J mice (n=55) in either the infrarenal inferior vena cava (IVC, n=42) or right jugular vein (n=13). IVC VT mice were randomized to statin or control groups. Statin (rosuvastatin 5mg/kg) was given by oral gavage starting one day prior to VT induction; control mice received PBS. All mice underwent survival FDG-PET/CT venography imaging on day 2. FDG-PET inflammation signals (standard uptake value (SUV), SUVmax, target-to-background ratios (TBR)) were measured. Picrosirius red staining of day 14 VT sections measured vein wall collagen/thickness. Ex vivo VT tissue gamma counting of a subgroup was performed at day 2. Whole-thrombus protein/mRNA and VT tissue sections assessed neutrophil content. Results: FDG-PET/CT at day 2 revealed increased FDG uptake in jugular VT over the contralateral sham surgery vein (p<0.001). Statin-treated mice showed a decrease in FDG-PET SUV, SUVmax and TBR (p<0.05 for all). Whole-thrombus analyses and tissue section immunostaining showed reduced thrombus neutrophil content at day 2, without reducing GLUT1 or MPO expression (p>0.05). At day 14, statin therapy significantly reduced VWS (p=0.02). In mice undergoing survival imaging, the day 2 FDG-PET VT inflammation signal correlated significantly with the magnitude of day 14 VWS (IVC VT r=0.74, p<0.001) and jugular models of VT (r=0.62, p=0.02). Conclusions: Quantitative FDG inflammation imaging demonstrates that early VT inflammation presages subsequent VWS, and is ameliorated by prophylactic statin therapy. The overall findings support the concept that statins and could reduce VWS and PTS.