Projects / Programmes
Pathohistological changes of coronary arteries in diffuse and distal coronary artery disease.
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 3.06.00 |
Medical sciences |
Cardiovascular system |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B530 |
Biomedical sciences |
Cardiovascular system |
| B210 |
Biomedical sciences |
Histology, cytochemistry, histochemistry, tissue culture |
distal and diffuse coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, endarterectomy, apoptosis, TUNEL method, cell proliferation, immune response, histology and immunohistochemistry, mononuclear infiltation, endothelium, vasa vasorum
Researchers (8)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Cell immune response, proliferation and apoptosis were examined closely in coronary vessel wall in diffuse and distal coronary artery disease. Our hypothesis expected the process of atherosclerosis in diffuse and distal coronary artery disease is similar to the process of accelerated atherosclerosis described in rejection reaction after heart transplantation.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Endarterectomy sequesters of 28 patients, aged 49 to 79 years, who underwent coronary endarterectomy procedure, were cut into step serial sections, stained with HE and Masson’s stain. In a group of specimens immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the presence of lymphocytes B, lymphocytes T, macrophages, endothelial cells and cell proliferation in the vessel wall. TUNEL technique was used to detect the presence of programmed cell death.
RESULTS
In the majority of specimens, the vessel wall was affected diffusely and concentrically. Endothelium was denudated and only newly formed vessels showed positive endothelium marker. Intima and media were thickened, showing diffuse fibrosis, sometimes calcification, hyalinisation and focal mononuclear infiltration. Adventitia showed thickened and hyalinised vessels that supply outer layers of media (vasa vasorum). Mononuclear cells infiltrates were seen in analysed vessels, and the predominant cell constituted macrophages (50 %), followed by lymphocytes B (46 %), and to a lesser extent lymphocytes T (25 %). In the adventitia of one sequester, polymorphonuclear infiltrate was present. Cell proliferation marker was positive in 35 % of specimens. Apoptosis was not present in our specimens taken from patients with diffuse and distal coronary artery disease.
CONCLUSION
Coronary endarterectomy sequester analysis revealed diffusely affected artery wall, damaged endothelium, hyalinisation and polymorphonuclear infiltration of vasa vasorum. In intima and media of vessel wall there were positive markers for macrophages, lymphocytes B and T, which imply activated humoral and cellular immune system. Positive proliferation markers in vessel wall in distal and diffuse coronary artery disease indicate still active atherosclerotic process.
