Atherosclerosis, a pathology affecting arterial blood vessels, is one of most common disease of the developed countries. We present studies on the increased atherosclerosis risk using an agent based model of atherogenesis that has been previously validated using clinical data. It is well known that the major risk in atheroscle- rosis is the persistent high level of low density lipoprotein (LDL) concentration. However, it is not known if short period of high LDL con- centration can cause irreversible damage and if reduction of the LDL concentration (either by life style or drug) can drastically or partially reduce the already acquired risk. We used the Sicilian Grid infrastructure to simulate three different clinical situations in a large set of virtual patients (200 per clinical scenario). In the first one the patients lifestyle maintains the concentration of LDL in a no risk range. This is the control case simulation. In the second and in the third simu- lations, the lifestyle of the virtual patients raises the LDL concentration to a risk level. Differences in the foam cells formation can be interpreted as permanent or non-permanent risk effects. Finally we consider virtual patients whose life style raises many times the level of LDL concentration just above the normal but this is quickly reduced using appropriate treatment. Those preliminary results obviously need to be clinically investigated. The Grid power allowed us to retrieve results of the simulation in a short time.
Atherosclerosis, a pathology affectingarterial blood vessels, is one of most commondisease of the developed countries. We presentstudies on the increased atherosclerosis risk usingan agent based model of atherogenesis that hasbeen previously validated using clinical data. Itis well known that the major risk in atherosclerosisis the persistent high level of low densitylipoprotein (LDL) concentration. However, it isnot known if short period of high LDL concentrationcan cause irreversible damage and ifreduction of the LDL concentration (either by lifestyle or drug) can drastically or partially reducethe already acquired risk. We used the SicilianGRID infrastructure to simulate three differentclinical situations in a large set of virtual patients(200 per clinical scenario). In the first one thepatients lifestyle maintains the concentration ofLDL in a no risk range. This is the control casesimulation. In the second and in the third simulations,the lifestyle of the virtual patients raisesthe LDL concentration to a risk level. Differencesin the foam cells formation can be interpreted aspermanent or non-permanent risk effects. Finallywe consider virtual patients whose life style raisesmany times the level of LDL concentration justabove the normal but this is quickly reduced usingappropriate treatment. Those preliminary resultsobviously need to be clinically investigated. TheGRID power allowed us to retrieve results of thesimulation in a short time.
Grid-based atherosclerosis simulations
PAPPALARDO, FRANCESCO;PENNISI, MARZIO ALFIO;MOTTA, Santo
2009-01-01
Abstract
Atherosclerosis, a pathology affecting arterial blood vessels, is one of most common disease of the developed countries. We present studies on the increased atherosclerosis risk using an agent based model of atherogenesis that has been previously validated using clinical data. It is well known that the major risk in atheroscle- rosis is the persistent high level of low density lipoprotein (LDL) concentration. However, it is not known if short period of high LDL con- centration can cause irreversible damage and if reduction of the LDL concentration (either by life style or drug) can drastically or partially reduce the already acquired risk. We used the Sicilian Grid infrastructure to simulate three different clinical situations in a large set of virtual patients (200 per clinical scenario). In the first one the patients lifestyle maintains the concentration of LDL in a no risk range. This is the control case simulation. In the second and in the third simu- lations, the lifestyle of the virtual patients raises the LDL concentration to a risk level. Differences in the foam cells formation can be interpreted as permanent or non-permanent risk effects. Finally we consider virtual patients whose life style raises many times the level of LDL concentration just above the normal but this is quickly reduced using appropriate treatment. Those preliminary results obviously need to be clinically investigated. The Grid power allowed us to retrieve results of the simulation in a short time.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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