Inflammation, Microcalcification, and Increased Expression of Osteopontin Are Histological Hallmarks of Plaque Vulnerability in Patients with Advanced Carotid Artery Stenosis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

severe carotid artery stenosis is a major cause of ischemic stroke and consequent neurological deficits. The most important steps of atherosclerotic plaque development, leading to carotid stenosis, are well-known; however, their exact timeline and intricate causal relationships need to be more characterized.

Methods

in a cohort of 119 patients, who underwent carotid endarterectomy, we studied the histological correlations between arterial calcification patterns and localization, the presence of the inflammatory infiltrate and osteopontin expression, with ulceration, thrombosis, and intra-plaque hemorrhage, as direct signs of vulnerability.

Results

in patients with an inflammatory infiltrate, aphasia was more prevalent, and microcalcification, superficial ca

SUBMITTER: Balmos IA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10045225 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature