Overexpression of hypoxia/inflammatory markers in atherosclerotic carotid plaques.
Hypoxia, angiogenesis and inflammation leads to plaque progression and remodelling and may significantly contribute towards plaque rupture and subsequent cerebrovascular events. Our aim was to study, markers of hypoxia and inflammation previously identified by microarray analysis, in atherosclerotic carotid arteries with low to moderate stenosis. We hoped to describe different cellular populations expressing the studied markers. The location of selected inflammatory molecules obtained as vascular transplants from organ donors were analysed by immunohistochemistry with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. Paraffin-embedded sections were cut and probed with antibodies recognizing active B and T-lymphocytes (CD30), hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha, endoglin (CD105), Interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein. We observed a notable overexpression of HIF-1alpha in inflammatory and hypoxic areas of carotid arteries in all types of lesions from type II-V taken from the patients with carotid stenosis less than 50%. This suggests that HIF-1alpha may have a putative role in atherosclerosis progression and angiogenesis. Dynamic changes in the non-occluding plaques may explain some of the clinical events in patients with low to moderate carotid stenosis.
Department of Neurology, Stroke Unit, University Hospital of Bellvitge and IDIBELL, Barcelona, Spain.
Ana
A
Luque
Marta
M
Turu
Oriol
O
Juan-Babot
Pere
P
Cardona
Angels
A
Font
Ana
A
Carvajal
Mark
M
Slevin
Elena
E
Iborra
Francisco
F
Rubio
Lina
L
Badimon
Jerzy
J
Krupinski
D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D001344:Autopsy; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D000071063:Endoglin; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D017730:Ki-1 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D014019:Tissue Donors
D015703:Antigens, CD; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; C497442:HIF1A protein, human; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D015850:Interleukin-6; D017730:Ki-1 Antigen; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D002097:C-Reactive Protein