title: Complete processing of type III collagen in atherosclerotic plaques.
abstract: The extent of processing of type III collagen is assessed, and the proportions of type I and III collagens are estimated in atherosclerotic plaques obtained from the carotid artery, common femoral artery, and aorta. The fraction of type III collagen that had retained its amino-terminal propeptide (pN-collagen) was 42% in the soluble extract but only 0.0081% in the insoluble residue. Taken together, only 0.011% of the type III collagen in whole plaques was in the form of type III pN-collagen. Together with the small amounts of the free propeptides of type I procollagen, this finding indicates a low rate of collagen turnover. The amounts of solubilized telopeptides of type I and III collagens were measured, after heat denaturation and trypsin digestion of the collagenous helix, by specific immunoassays for the corresponding trypsin-generated antigens. The mean proportion of type III collagen was 61% (95% confidence interval, 58% to 65%) in the carotid and femoral artery plaques and 56% (95% confidence interval, 44% to 68%) in the aortic specimens. The completely processed and cross-linked type III collagen seems to be the major collagen type in atherosclerotic plaques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Bode
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mosorin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Satta
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Risteli
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Juvonen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Risteli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D011347:Procollagen / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D014357:Trypsin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011347:Procollagen; C041876:procollagen Type III-N-terminal peptide; D003094:Collagen; D014357:Trypsin