Blood vessels and lymphatics in calcific aortic stenosis - in support of its inflammatory pathogenesis
2010
Abstract
Twenty-eight cases of calcific aortic stenosis (CAS) were examined by means of histology and immunohistochemistry (CD31 for blood vessels; D2-40 for lymphatics). In the calcified cusps, blood vessels were present in all 28 cases, and lymphatics in 14 of them.
Vascularization was associated with lymphocytic infiltrates in 24 cases. Our finding in the calcified cusps of both blood and lymphatic vessels together with lymphocytic infiltrates supports the inflammatory theory of the CAS pathogenesis.