title: Placenta growth factor expression in human atherosclerotic carotid plaques is related to plaque destabilization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Placenta growth factor (PlGF) mediates angiogenesis and inflammation, but its role in human atherosclerosis is unknown. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that PlGF-expression in human atherosclerotic carotid plaques is related to inflammation, vascularization and clinical plaque instability.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of PlGF, C-reactive protein (CRP) and CD40L was analyzed with Western blots in carotid plaques of 60 patients. Cellular infiltration (CD68, CD3) and vascularization (von-Willebrand-factor) was assessed by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Symptomatic patients showed higher levels of PlGF than asymptomatic patients (115.4+/-8.2 versus 83.6+/-10.5 densitometric units (DU), p<0.05) and higher grading for inflammatory cells and microvessels (CD3: 2.3+/-0.1 versus 0.6+/-0.1, p<0.001, CD68: 2.4+/-0.1 versus 0.8+/-0.1, p<0.001, microvessels: 2.3+/-0.1 versus 1.5+/-0.1, p<0.01). PlGF-expression showed a positive correlation to the expression of CRP (r=0.5, p<0.001) and CD40L (r=0.4, p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PlGF-expression within human atherosclerotic lesions is associated with plaque inflammation and microvascular density, suggesting a role for PlGF in plaque destabilization and, thus, in clinical manifestation of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic Rochester, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pilarczyk
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic Rochester, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine J E
authors.initials: KJE
authors.lastname: Sattler
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic Rochester, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Offer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Galili
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic Rochester, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Versari
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic Rochester, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Monica L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Frederic B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Xiang-Yang
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Lilach O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Lerman
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic Rochester, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, USA. Electronic address: lerman.amir@mayo.edu.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lerman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016893:Carotid Stenosis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor