title: The content of collagen type II in human arteries is correlated with the stage of atherosclerosis and calcification foci.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The signature processes during atherosclerosis development are arterial calcification and accumulation in the arterial walls of proteins that are specific to bone and cartilage, e.g., collagen type II. The purpose of this study was to characterize localization of collagen type II and quantify its content in human arteries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study was conducted on sections of thoracic and abdominal aortas (n=97) subjected to histological evaluation and classified into six grades according to the Stary scale of the atherosclerosis severity. Three types of samples were distinguished from the group of arteries: (1) without macroscopically visible calcifications, (2) with macroscopically visible calcifications dispersed within the arterial wall, and (3) calcium deposits isolated from the walls tested with respect to the segment of the artery from which they had originated. The results demonstrate that both cholesterol and collagen type II content are significantly higher in samples with calcification, whereas collagen type II is localized mainly in the tissue around the calcium deposit. A positive correlation has been shown between the levels of collagen type II and cholesterol (r=0.57, P<.05). A similar trend was observed with respect to the grade of atherosclerosis (r=0.43, P<.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The amount of collagen type II is higher in the tissue around the calcium deposit. The correlation was observed between the quantityof collagen type II, the grade of atherosclerosis, and cholesterol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Wroclaw Medical University, ul. Chalubinskiego 10, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuzan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Wroclaw Medical University, ul. Chalubinskiego 10, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland. Electronic address: agnieszka.chwilkowska@umed.wroc.pl.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chwiłkowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Mechatronics and Theory of Mechanisms, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Technology, ul. Lukasiewicza 7/9, 50-371 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Celina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pezowicz
authors.affiliation: WroVasc-Integrated Cardiovascular Centre, Regional Specialist Hospital, Research and Development Centre, ul. Kamienskiego 73a, 51-124 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Witkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Wroclaw Medical University, ul. Chalubinskiego 10, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gamian
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, ul. J. Mikulicza-Radeckiego 4, 50-345 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maksymowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Mechatronics and Theory of Mechanisms, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Technology, ul. Lukasiewicza 7/9, 50-371 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobielarz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis; D024043:Collagen Type II / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D024043:Collagen Type II; D002784:Cholesterol; D002118:Calcium
keywords: Atherosclerosis; Cholesterol; Collagen; Vascular calcification