Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Gene Expression in Epicardial Adipose Tissue is Related to Coronary Atherosclerosis Assessed by Computed Tomography

Fig. 1.. There was no significant correlation between CD68+ macrophage infiltration and normalized tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT).

Fig. 2.. Normalized tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) had no correlation with serum C-reactive protein (CRP) or visceral adipose tissue (VAT) area or EAT volume (A–C). Normalized TNF-α expression in EAT was significantly higher in patients with diabetes mellitus, and it had no difference based on the presence of other risk factors or statin therapy (D). Pres, present; Abs, absent.

Fig. 3.. Normalized tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) had no difference between patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) and those scheduled for non-CABG (A). There was no significant difference in normalized TNF-α expression in EAT among the three groups based on coronary calcium score (CCS) (B). Patients with non- and/or partially-calcified coronary plaque (NCP) had higher normalized TNF-α expression in EAT than those without (C).

Fig. 4.. Illustrative cases. (A) A 67-year-old male patient scheduled for coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) taking 10 mg daily dose of atorvastatin with non-calcified coronary plaque (arrowheads) on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), extensive histological macrophage infiltration in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), and high normalized tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression in EAT. (B) A 72-year-old female scheduled for aortic valve repair taking no statin with only mild coronary calcification on CCTA, minimal histological macrophage infiltration in EAT, and low normalized TNF-α expression in EAT. Scale bar in immunohistochemistry image, 100 µm.

Supplementary Fig. 1.. The data plots of normalized tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) based on the presence (A) or absence (B) of non- and/or partially-calcified coronary plaque (NCP).

Supplementary Fig. 2.. Normalized tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) showed no significant difference between patients scheduled for aortic valve repair and those scheduled for mitral valve repair (A). High-risk features of non- and/or partially-calcified coronary plaque (NCP) on computed tomography (CT) were defined as minimum CT density < 30 Hounsfield units and vascular remodeling index > 1.1. Normalized TNF-α expression in EAT showed no significant difference between patients with high-risk NCP and those without (B).