No abstract

Atherosclerosis commonly affects the arteries harvested from patients 70 years of age or older. Saphenous vein grafts appear to maintain a higher patency rate after coronary artery bypass grafting in these subjects. The infiltration of macrophages is an early step in saphenous vein graft atherosclerosis; however, little is known regarding the underlying mechanisms of infiltration. The objective of the present report is to evaluate the presence of CD68-positive cells in the saphenous vein wall and correlate initial CD68-positive infiltration to specific clinical and biochemical parameters and the graft patency rate as estimated in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. A total of 309 patients were allocated into two groups: A1 patients, who were between 50 and 70 years of age, and A2 patients, who were 70 years or older at the time of vein harvesting. CD68 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. There were no significant differences between A1 and A2 patients regarding macrophage expression within any of the analyzed vascular regions. Saphenous vein macrophages were never present in the tunica intima unless they were also expressed in the media or the adventitia. The patients with CD68-positive cells in the tunica intima had a significantly higher number of bypass stenoses when compared with the subjects who did not have CD68-positive cells in this layer. These findings suggest that the CD68-positive cells (those that have not yet developed into foam cells) present in the intima of saphenous vein grafts might serve as a very early marker of graft occlusion.

The endothelial integrity of radial artery grafts harvested by minimally invasive surgery is better preserved than in the grafts obtained by the conventional manner. This could play an important role in improving graft patency and might represent a preliminary condition of stable functioning in coronary arterial bypasses.

Introduction. Migration of the smooth muscle cells (SMCs) to the tunica media in the saphenous vein (SV) transplants is facilitated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The aim of this study was to identify any associations between expression of MMP-2 or endogenous tissue inhibitors (TIMP-2 and TIMP-3) in the SV segments and late failure of the SV grafts. Methods. Two hundred consecutive patients with a mean age of 63.1 ± 8.9 years who underwent primary isolated venous CABG were examined. Patients were retrospectively split into two subgroups, with the SV graft disease (SVGD (+); n = 47) or without it (SVGD (−); n = 153). In the SV segments, immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of the MMP-2, TIMP-2, and -3 was performed. Results. In the SVGD (+) patients, tissue expression of MMP-2 was stronger, whereas that of both TIMPs was weaker than in the SVGD (−) patients. In majority of the SV segments obtained from the SVGD (−) individuals, a balance in MMP and TIMP expressions was found, whereas an upregulation of MMP-2 expression was usually noted in the SVGD (+) subjects. Conclusion. The strong expression of MMP-2 accompanied by reduced immunostaining of both TIMPs is associated with the development of the SV graft disease and unfavorable CABG outcomes.

Suppressors of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS) inhibit Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (STATs) phosphorylation by binding and inhibiting Janus Kinases (JaKs). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of glucocorticosteroids on the JaK/STAT signaling pathway in the leukocytes of nephrotic syndrome (NS) patients. The study group was composed of 34 steroid sensitive NS (SSNS) children and 20 steroid resistant NS (SRNS) subjects. Gene expression was assessed by real-time PCR using pre-designed human JaK/STAT PCR array. Protein expression was evaluated using ELISA assay (plasma concentration) and immunofluorescence (in situ protein expression). In SSNS children, the initial increased expression of JaK1, JaK2, JaK3, STAT1, STAT2, STAT6, TYK2, SOCS1, SOCS2, SOCS3, SOCS4 and SOCS5 was reduced back to the control limits. Similarly, in SRNS patients the increased levels of almost all mRNA expressions for the abovementioned genes were decreased, with the exceptions of SOCS3 and SOCS5 expressions. These mRNA expressions were still significantly increased and correlated with early unfavorable course of nephrotic syndrome in children. Plasma levels of SOCS3, SOCS5, IL-6 and IL-20 were significantly increased in SRNS subjects after six weeks of steroids medication compared to SSNS and control participants. We conclude that SOCS3 and SOCS5 increased mRNA expressions might predict initial resistance