title: Expression of annexin II in human atherosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurysms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Annexin II is a receptor for tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) that converts plasminogen to plasmin. Although the fibrinolytic system is known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), the relationship between annexin II and AAA development is unknown. Therefore, we examined annexin II localization in the wall of human atherosclerotic AAAs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Specimens from 13 patients undergoing elective repair of an AAA were taken. Annexin II expression was evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis. Immunostaining results were semiquantitatively analyzed using histology scores and WinROOF software based on staining intensity. The expression of annexin II was increased and the histology score was higher in the shoulder region of the atheromatous plaque than in the atheroma and fibrous plaque regions. Annexin II appeared to have greater expression and the histology score was higher in regions where the media was preserved. Furthermore, there was a significant inverse correlation between AAA size and histology score in the fibrous plaque region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present work demonstrates various levels of annexin II expression within the aneurysm wall. Therefore, we suggest that alteration of annexin II expression within the aortic wall may be associated with the development of an aneurysm.
authors.affiliation: Cellular Transplantation Biology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, 13-1, Takaramachi, Kanazawa, 920-8641, Japan. tomoeha@aol.com
authors.forename: Tomoe
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Eriko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morishita
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohtake
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.forename: Kazuhide
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Masahisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arahata
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kadohira
authors.forename: Mio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maekawa
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ontachi
authors.forename: Masahide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Hidesaku
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asakura
authors.forename: Akiyoshi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takami
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakao
mesh_terms: D017306:Annexin A2 / Q000235:genetics*; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D012984:Software
chemical_list: D017306:Annexin A2