Significance of the level of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in human atherosclerosis.
BACKGROUND
Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), a potent chemoattractant for monocytes, plays an important role in the earliest events of atherogenesis. However, direct evidence of the effects of MCP-1 on atherosclerosis in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients has not been reported.


RESULTS
The serum MCP-1 concentrations and the intimal - medial thickness (IMT) in the carotid arteries were measured in 42 non-diabetic chronic HD patients and 20 age-matched controls. The expression of MCP-1 was examined immunohistochemically in radial arterial tissues obtained from the HD patients. IMT and the serum concentration of MCP-1 in the HD patients were both significantly greater than in controls. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the serum concentration of MCP-1 was an independent factor influencing IMT. Tissue immunostaining showed that MCP-1 is expressed in both endothelial and smooth muscle cells and that its level of expression correlates with the serum concentration of MCP-1.


CONCLUSIONS
An increase in MCP-1 may be an important factor in the progression of atherosclerosis in non-diabetic HD patients.
Kusano
Kengo Fukushima
KF
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Okayama, Japan. kfuku0218@aol.com
Nakamura
Kazufumi
K
Kusano
Hitoshi
H
Nishii
Nobuhiro
N
Banba
Kimikazu
K
Ikeda
Tetsuya
T
Hashimoto
Katsushi
K
Yamamoto
Mika
M
Fujio
Hideki
H
Miura
Aya
A
Ohta
Keiko
K
Morita
Hiroshi
H
Saito
Hironori
H
Emori
Tetsuro
T
Nakamura
Yoichi
Y
Kusano
Isao
I
Ohe
Tohru
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking
D018932:Chemokine CCL2