on March 10, 2005
Published online before print March 10, 2005, doi: 10.1161/01.ATV.0000162173.27682.7b
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Submitted on August 13, 2004
Accepted on February 24, 2005
Connective Tissue Growth Factor Is Overexpressed in Complicated Atherosclerotic Plaques and Induces Mononuclear Cell Chemotaxis In Vitro
Iwona Cicha *;
From the Medical Clinic II (I.C., A.Y., W.G.D., C.D.G.) and Medical Clinic IV (M.G.-S.), University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany; Department of Vascular Surgery (M.K., D.R.), Clinic Nuremberg, Germany; and Center for Cell and Vascular Biology (D.R.B.), Children’s Research Institute, Columbus, Ohio.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Iwona_Cicha{at}yahoo.com.
Objective--Atherosclerotic blood vessels overexpress connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) mRNA, but the role of CTGF in atherosclerosis remains controversial. To assess the hypothesis that CTGF is involved in atherosclerotic plaque progression, we investigated CTGF protein expression and distribution in the different types of plaque morphology.
Methods and Results--Serial cross-sections of 45 human carotid plaques were immunohistochemically analyzed for the presence of CTGF protein, neovascularization (von Willebrand factor), macrophages (CD68), and T cells (CD3). The lesions were categorized according to American Heart Association (AHA) classification as fibrous (type IV and V) or complicated plaques (type VI). The levels of CTGF were significantly higher in complicated compared with fibrous plaques (P=0.002). CTGF accumulated particularly in the rupture-prone plaque shoulder and in the areas of neovascularization or infiltration with inflammatory cells. Macrophage-like cells stained positive for CTGF protein in plaques. Subsequent in vitro studies showed that although monocyte-derived macrophages do not produce CTGF on stimulation with transforming growth factor-
, lipopolysaccharide, or thrombin, they take it up from culture medium. Furthermore, C0 induces mononuclear cell chemotaxis in a dose-dependent manner.
Conclusion--CTGF protein is significantly increased in complicated compared with fibrous plaques and may enhance monocyte migration into atherosclerotic lesions, thus contributing to atherogenesis.
Key words: connective tissue growth factor • atherosclerosis • plaque development • chemotaxis
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