BACKGROUND Chlamydia pneumoniae, a gram-negative bacterium, has been suggested to be a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Calcium is a well-known component of atherosclerotic plaques, but it is uncertain whether infectious agents play a role in the calcification process of the arteries. PATIENTS To address this issue we investigated the association of Chlamydia antibodies with intimal arterial ...

OBJECTIVE Flow associated dilatation (FAD%) and intimal media thickness are established markers of early atherosclerosis. This study aimed to compare the ability of the non-invasive measurements FAD% and intimal media thickness to predict coronary artery disease. METHODS FAD% and intimal media thickness were determined using high resolution ultrasound in 122 patients with clinically suspected...

AIMS Histological restenosis models in animals have indicated that stent design has a significant impact on vessel trauma during stent implantation and on the amount of subsequent neointimal tissue proliferation. The impact of different stent designs on intimal hyperplasia in human atherosclerotic coronary arteries has not been determined. METHODS AND RESULTS Angiographic and intravascular ul...

OBJECTIVES Autologous veins are preferred conduits in by-pass surgery. However, long-term results are hampered by limited patency due to intimal hyperplasia. Although mechanisms involved in development of intimal hyperplasia have been established, the role of inflammatory processes is still unclear. Here, we studied leukocyte recruitment and intimal hyperplasia in inferior vena cava grafts tran...

BACKGROUND Accumulation of excess cholesterol by intimal arterial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) contributes to the formation of foam cells in atherosclerotic lesions. The purpose of this study was to examine the expression and activity of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) in model intimal and medial arterial SMCs, in human atherosclerotic coronary artery intimal and medial layers, and in...

Accelerated atherosclerosis diminishes the long term patency of vascular interventions, such as percutaneous coronary intervention and implantation of saphenous vein grafts. However, the cause of this accelerated atherosclerosis is unclear. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that intimal hyperplasia formed following vascular intervention promotes retention of atherogenic lipoproteins. Inti...

Segments of rat femoral arteries, with one collateral each, occluded between ligatures and dissected from surrounding tissue, developed intimal thickening, with or without ligation of their collaterals. Numerous newly-formed capillaries from the surrounding arterial microcirculation growing into the adventitia, tunica media and intimal thickening were demonstrated by means of serial longitudina...

We studied the effects of an organic nitric oxide (NO) donor SPM-5185 in a rat carotid artery intimal injury model. Seven days after injury, the two end segments of the injured carotid arteries were studied for endothelial release of NO, and the middle segments were used for histological measurement of the intimal-to-medial (I/M) ratio and scanning electron microscopy of the luminal surface. Th...

OBJECTIVE We investigated the role of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in intimal thickening with exposure to cigarette smoke (CS). METHODS AND RESULTS Intimal thickening in wild-type (WT) and iNOS-deficient (iNOS-/-) mice subjected to CS exposure was induced by placement of a cuff around the carotid artery. CS exposure in WT mice was associated with increased arterial iNOS expression, superoxide...

BACKGROUND More than 50% of aortocoronary saphenous vein grafts are occluded 10 years after surgery. Intimal hyperplasia is the initial critical step in the progression toward occlusion. Internal mammary veins, which are physiologically prone to less hydrostatic pressure, may undergo an accelerated progression to intimal hyperplasia and thus be suitable for investigation of the mechanisms of ao...