title: ST2L Transmembrane Receptor Expression: An Immunochemical Study on Endarterectomy Samples.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  ST2 (suppression of tumorigenity) has been described as a receptor for the interleukin-33, a member of the IL-1 family of cytokines. It is associated to coronary artery disease, all-causes mortality and cardiovascular mortality.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was designed to assess the immunohistochemical expression of the ST2 receptor (ST2L/Il-1R) in atherosclerotic plaques of formalin fixed paraffin-embedded internal carotid arteries of patients with and without cerebro-vascular symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study involved 41 cases (23 asymptomatic and 18 symptomatic). All the clinical and morphological parameters examined were uniformly distributed between the two groups, with a mild predominance of degree of calcification in asymptomatic cases (p = 0.01). ST2L expression was found to be more evident as a membrane pattern in macrophages when observing carotid atherosclerotic plaques of symptomatic patients, rather than in asymptomatic patients' plaques (77.7% vs 39.1%; p = 0.015), and its expression was particularly remarkable in VI type plaque (AHA). Significantly, ST2L was marked by the endothelium of neoangiogenetic vessels on the shoulder region of the plaque, but not (apart from a few cases) in the endothelium covering the residual lumen of the vessel.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ST2L immunohistochemical expression was for the first time investigated in a large number of human carotid atherosclerotic plaques, as for its pattern of distribution in the different plaque cell populations. Furthermore, ST2L was particularly remarkable on macrophages, as a membrane pattern, of symptomatic patients' plaque. Considering our data, we hypothesize that ST2L/IL33 axis could drive the mechanism of plaque development and eventually rupture.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Section, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), Medical School, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marzullo
authors.affiliation: Pathology Section, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), Medical School, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ambrosi
authors.affiliation: Vascular Surgery Section, Medical School, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inchingolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Science of Educational, Psychology and Communication-University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Manca
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diseases Section, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Fiorella
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Devito
authors.affiliation: Vascular Surgery Section, Medical School, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Angiletta
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diseases Section, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Annapaola
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zito
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diseases Section, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scicchitano
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Diseases Section, Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO), University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco Matteo
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ciccone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000072179:Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D000067596:Interleukin-33 / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: C079241:IL1RL1 protein, human; C506536:IL33 protein, human; D000072179:Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein; D000067596:Interleukin-33