Tissue-specific distribution of microplastics in human blood and carotid plaques: A paired sample analysis

BACKGROUNDS: Microplastics (MPs) have been increasingly detected in human tissues, raising concerns about their role in cardiovascular disease. However, their distribution in matched blood and vascular tissues, such as atherosclerotic plaques, remains poorly understood. METHODS: Paired blood and carotid plaque samples were analyzed for 12 polymer types of MPs using pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry among twenty patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. RESULTS: The mean concentration of total MPs was 75.2 μg/g in blood and 432.9 μg/g in plaque. Polyethylene (PE) dominated blood samples (46.5 %), followed by polyvinyl chloride (PVC, 16.8 %) and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR, 16.3 %). In plaques, MPs were more evenly distributed, with polypropylene (PP, 23.1 %), PE (20.3 %), SBR (19.8 %), and PVC (18.5 %) being most common. Distinct clustering patterns were observed within each tissue, with a moderate paired correlation for total MPs (r = 0.30). Stronger correlations were found for polyurethane (PU, ρ = 0.91) and ABS (ρ = 0.54), while PC showed a negative correlation (ρ = -0.45). Several MPs were associated with lipid biomarkers, e.g., plaque PP was associated with lower HDL-C. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight tissue-specific MPs accumulation patterns and suggest the associations between MPs exposure and circulating lipid markers.