Publication at Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové |
2012
Abstract
Calcific aortic disease (CAS) is considered a form of atherosclerosis and, like the latter, of inflammatory origin. The aim of our work was to study the pattern of cellular infiltrate in CAS.
Fifteen operatively excised calcified aortic valves were examined by means of histology and immunohistochemistry (CD20, CD79α, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD68, CD138, BJK, BJL, IgA, IgD, IgG, IgG4, and IgM). The findings present CAS as a chronic inflammatory process with polyclonal infiltrates comprising lymphocytes, plasma cells and histiocytes.
The inflammatory process was the same in both subsets of CAS- those with trileaflet (normally formed) valves and those with congenitally bicuspid valves.