Local generation of C-reactive protein in diseased coronary artery venous bypass grafts and normal vascular tissue.
BACKGROUND
Venous coronary artery bypass grafts (CABGs) are prone to accelerated atherosclerosis. In atherosclerotic diseases, serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels have become an important diagnostic and prognostic marker. The origin of CRP in this setting remains to be elucidated.


RESULTS
Monoclonal anti-CRP identified CRP expression in medial and intimal alpha-actin-positive smooth muscle cells (SMCs) of diseased CABGs with type V and VI lesions and also of native saphenous veins of atherosclerotic individuals. In addition, patent coronary arteries with type IV and V but not with type I through III lesions exhibited intense SMC staining for CRP. Calcified desobliterates of occluded coronary arteries with end-stage disease did not show SMC staining for CRP and were consistently negative for CRP mRNA, as detected by means of real-time polymerase chain reaction. However, CRP mRNA was expressed in 11 of 15 diseased CABGs and also in 10 of 15 native veins. By contrast, only 3 of 18 internal mammary and 4 of 12 radial arteries with virtually no atherosclerosis were positive for CRP mRNA.


CONCLUSIONS
CRP is produced by SMCs of atherosclerotic lesions with active disease but not in end-stage plaques. The role of CRP constitutively expressed by normal vascular tissue in vein graft disease has yet to be elucidated.
Jabs
Wolfram J
WJ
Department of Medicine I, University of Lübeck School of Medicine, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany. wjabs@gmx.de
Theissing
Elisabeth
E
Nitschke
Martin
M
Bechtel
J F Matthias
JF
Duchrow
Michael
M
Mohamed
Salah
S
Jahrbeck
Bernhard
B
Sievers
Hans-Hinrich
HH
Steinhoff
Jürgen
J
Bartels
Claus
C
D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000473:pathology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014680:Veins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002097:C-Reactive Protein