A Phase I/II, Single-Center, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study Evaluating the Therapeutic Efficacy of Intravenously Injected PEG-liposomal Prednisolone Sodium Phosphate (Nanocort®) in Subjects With Severe Inflamed Carotid or Aortic Atherosclerosis Plaques

Cardiovascular disease(CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developed nations. CVD is primarily caused by atherosclerosis, a systemic disease characterized by lipid deposition in the subendothelial space with a concomitant, low-grade inflammatory reaction.(Fuster, Moreno et al. 2005) To date, most therapeutic interventions aimed at lowering CVD have thus far focused on modulating lipid levels, either lowering LDLc or increasing HDLc levels. Yet, since the introduction of statins 20 years ago, there have been few breakthroughs in the treatment of this disease. A promising strategy to reduce CVD is to directly target inflammation at the level of the vessel wall.(van Leuven, van Wijk et al.; Libby 2002) A potential drawback of anti-inflammatory strategies pertains to the thin line between inhibiting 'inappropriate' inflammation versus inducing immuno-suppression. Therefore, continuous low dosed anti-inflammatory drugs have great potential as novel treatment strategies. In the present project, the investigators propose to inject liposomal glucocorticoids intravenously in patients with an increased risk of atherosclerotic disease aiming to reduce vessel wall inflammation.