title: Absence of inflammatory conditions in human varicose saphenous veins.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Varicose veins affect one-third of the adult population in western countries, but their pathogenesis is incompletely characterized. One of the most controversial issues is the role of inflammation. It is well known that inflammation involves an increased expression/activity of inflammatory mediators.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the presence or absence of mediators of inflammation in varicose as compared to healthy veins.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using immunohistofluorescence on varicose and healthy veins, we investigated the presence of inflammatory cells. They were not detectable. Venous wall C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen (EIA) and pentraxin-3 (Western blot) content were measured. CRP was significantly lower in varicose veins, but no difference was found for fibrinogen or pentraxin-3 between varicose and healthy veins. No difference was observed for enzymes involved in inflammation and responsible for arachidonic acid metabolism such as the acute phase reactant secreted phospholipase A₂-IIA and cyclooxygenase-2, as determined in varicose and healthy veins by Western blot and real-time qRT-PCR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our experiments demonstrate no increase in the presence of mediators of inflammation in varicose as compared to healthy veins, suggesting that inflammation may not be an important contributor to the pathogenesis of varicose veins.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U698, CHU X. Bichat, 46 Rue Huchard, 75018 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: Chabha
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benyahia
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Le Dall
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Payré
authors.forename: Liliane
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Louedec
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leséche
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lambeau
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Longrois
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Norel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism; D054501:Group II Phospholipases A2 / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component / Q000378:metabolism; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D000099153:Pentraxins
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D005340:Fibrinogen; D054501:Group II Phospholipases A2; D000683:Serum Amyloid P-Component; D000099153:Pentraxins; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human